Taking care of your heart is vital for a healthy life

THE heart is a muscular organ that pumps blood around your body. e blood delivers oxygen and nutrients to all parts of the body and carries away unwanted carbon dioxide and waste products.

e heart is therefore one of the body’s most vital organs. Taking care of it is important.

Yesterday (September 29) was World Heart Day, a day when each year efforts are made to draw people’s attention to heart disease and a range of associated health issues.

World Heart Day is commemorated to promote various preventative steps and lifestyle changes that can help avoid cardiovascular diseases such as a heart attack, stroke, heart failure and other heart-related conditions.

According to the World Heart Federation more than 17 million people die from heart-related illnesses every year. is is a more than the number who die from HIV, malaria and cancer.

Cardiovascular diseases

Cardiovascular diseases are the most common cause of death worldwide. Coronary heart disease or strokes are the major causes of these deaths.

A common misconception about cardiovascular disease is that it impacts mostly on people in developed countries who are more reliant on technology and tend to lead sedentary lifestyles.

However, more than 80 percent of the deaths from heart disease occur in middle-income and low-income countries.

Fortunately the main causes of cardiovascular disease are modifiable factors, which include lack of exercise, smoking and a poor diet.

Countries’ economies are adversely affected by cardiovascular diseases.

e cost of treatment is high and failure to treat the diseases timeously results in loss of productivity and long absences from work.

Risk factors

ere are three common risk factors for heart disease, namely smoking, high blood pressure and high cholesterol (more specifically low-density lipoprotein [LDL] cholesterol). Recent research has revealed that a high salt intake, which is associated with high blood pressure, is now putting children at risk.

Prevention

Living a healthy life is the best way to prevent cardiovascular disease. You need to look after your heart by eating a hearthealthy diet, stopping smoking if you smoke tobacco and having enough exercise.

Cut down on your sodium intake by trying not to use any salt at all at the table and reducing how much you use in cooking. You can also consider substituting salt with black pepper.

Consumption of too much sugar in your diet could lead to weight gain, which can raise your blood pressure and lead to diabetes and heart disease so it is a good idea to reduce the amount of sugar you take directly or through eating foods or drinking drinks with a high sugar content.

Eating fresh fruit and yoghurt can help with a craving for sugar if you have a sweet tooth.

Some fruits and vegetables that are rich in soluble fibre may also help to lower your cholesterol.

ese include citrus fruits, sweet potatoes, eggplant, mangos and most beans.

Stay away from food with saturated fat as eating too much saturated fat, especially that found in butter, margarine, fatty meats, dairy fats and processed foods such as pies, pastries and cakes, can increase cholesterol levels.

Increase your consumption of fish. Most oily fish, such as pilchards, sardines, mackerel, salmon and fresh tuna, are rich in omega-3 fatty acids which are good for your heart.

Avoid full-fat dairy products. Switch to low-fat ones as well as semi-skimmed milk. When buying meat, opt for lean cuts which you can steam or grill instead of frying.

Increase the amount of potassium in your diet by eating at least five portions of fruits and vegetables a day.

Potassium helps blood pressure.

e nutrients in fruits and vegetables, including vitamins, minerals and fibre, may also help to keep your heart healthy.

Make an exercise schedule for every day of the week as research has shown that people who are not very active are more likely to have a heart attack than those who are.

Your mobile phone app and smart watches can help you become motivated and keep to your exercise schedule as they can monitor your activity all day long and alert you whenever you have been inactive for too long or not reached a target.

Try to keep to a medically recommended weight by using the Body Mass Index.

If you are heavier than you should be, you will be at risk of suffering from high blood pressure, high cholesterol and Type 2 diabetes.

Take care of your mental health. Keep your stress under control.

If you are under a lot of stress, you may be more likely to smoke, take little or no exercise and drink more than a moderate amount of alcohol. All of this can lead to heart problems.

Find a way to quit smoking completely. Smoking is one of the main causes of cardiovascular disease.

Smokers are almost twice as likely to have a heart attack than those who have never smoked.

It not only damages the lining of your arteries but reduces the amount of oxygen in your blood and raises your blood pressure.

If you have been smoking for a long time, it is still worth giving up the habit as it reduces your risk of heart disease and other illnesses.

Drink alcohol only in moderation as excessive consumption can affect your heart by causing high blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythms and damage to the heart muscle.

You do not have to give up alcohol completely. Stick to standard guidelines for reasonable alcohol drinking.

ese recommend that women should take no more than two to three units of alcohol a day and men no more than three to four units. lower your

e information in this article is provided as a public service by the Cimas iGo Wellness programme, which is designed to promote good health. It is provided for general information only and should not be construed as medical advice. Readers should consult their doctor or clinic on any matter related to their health or the treatment of any health problem. — igo@cimas.co.zw or WhatsApp 0772 161 829 or phone 024-2773 0663