Heart disease kills nearly 18 million people worldwide every year. Learn how you can look after your heart and keep it healthy.
The heart is one of the most vital organs in our body. National Geographic estimates our hearts beat, on average:
These enormous, humbling numbers demonstrate the wonder of our body’s involuntary actions.
Another humbling number comes from the World Health Organization (WHO), which estimates cardiovascular diseases are responsible for nearly 18 million annual global deaths.
We're accustomed to discussing epidemics for things like seasonal flu or, more recently, COVID-19. Yet, the cardiovascular disease epidemic has been with us for many years and continues to grow.
Prioritising keeping your heart healthy is one of the most positive lifestyle changes you'll ever make.
Some risk factors are beyond your control. These are:
While family history and genetics are significant in your risk of developing cardiovascular disease, other risk factors are within your control.
For example, you're at higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease if you:
As you can see, these risk factors give you significant scope for lowering your risk by taking positive action.
The benefits of improving and maintaining our heart health are clear. As well as reducing our risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, a healthy heart can help preserve the health of our other organs and lower our risk of developing conditions like type 2 diabetes.
Here are six ways to keep your heart healthy.
How often do you hear "eat healthy" as advice, specifically for your heart or overall health?
We're not saying that "eat healthily" is terrible advice, but it isn't specific enough. So much information is available that it's easy to go down the wrong path when pursuing a healthier lifestyle.
To improve your heart health, make the following specific changes to your diet:
Modern life's demands mean exercise is too often the first thing we push from our daily agendas. But aiming for 150 minutes a week of activity can significantly impact your heart health. And you don't need to spend this time punishing yourself in the gym, either. Walking at a quick enough pace that you can hold a conversation but will get slightly out of breath will do the trick!
If you’re back in the office, why not take a walk at lunchtime or walk part of your journey to work? This will benefit your mental health as well as your heart!
Changing your diet and staying active will help you maintain a healthy weight.
If you start eating healthily and exercising but still struggle to lose weight, review your eating habits or consider increasing your exercise intensity. Also, consider consulting with your doctor, who can provide professional medical advice to help you reach your health goals.
According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, smokers are both twice as likely to have a heart attack or stroke and twice as likely to die from them. The same source says that if you smoke 25 or more cigarettes a day that you have more than a three-times higher risk of heart attack or stroke than a non-smoker and are nearly five times more likely to die due to heart disease or a stroke.
However, the good news is that if you quit smoking, your body immediately enters a state of recovery. Your health starts to improve in the minutes after you smoke your last cigarette.
According to the British Heart Foundation:
After years without smoking, many ex-smokers are, from a clinical perspective, in the same position as someone who has never smoked.
The United Kingdom’s National Health Service has a comprehensive overview of the benefits of quitting smoking.
Breathing in second-hand smoke can also be detrimental to your health; avoid smokers so you don’t become a passive smoker yourself!
Many studies have found moderate alcohol consumption, often defined as no more than 14 units a week spread across a minimum of three days, can help to protect your heart. However, excessive consumption can have the opposite effect, damaging your heart muscle, pushing up your blood pressure, and increasing the risk of experiencing an abnormal heart rhythm.
Review your alcohol intake and cut back if necessary to protect your heart. For example, if you enjoy a glass of wine, why not make it part of your dinnertime routine and enjoy the social benefits, too?
Stress alone can increase our heart rate and raise our blood pressure. However, it's often our reaction to stress that leads to more significant, long-term problems. For example, how often have you or someone you know decided you need a cigarette, got drunk, or indulged in comfort eating during times of stress?
Most of us have done one of these things at some point. Don't punish yourself if it happens - but try to ensure it doesn't always happen! Think about ways to manage your stress levels and mental health to help yourself protect your heart.
If you’re looking at products like international health insurance, look for plans with benefits or assistance programmes to help you manage and deal with stress.
29th September is World Heart Day, an annual event led by the World Heart Federation but promoted by healthcare providers and heart charities worldwide. Whether you’ve found the health objectives you set for yourself at the start of the year flagging or want to focus more on your health, give your body the healthy heart it deserves!
Why not involve work colleagues, family members, and friends in whatever you plan to do to improve and protect your heart health, too?
Happy World Heart Day!