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Prevention

Having spent over 20 years involved in diagnosis, detection and management of heart disease, it is increasingly apparent that prevention still doesn’t appear to be the number 1 priority for most of us. Despite enormous advances in management of cardiac risks, it still remains neglected – No, not so much by the medical profession, but mostly by the general public and patients.

This section is designed to help understand the most important ways to prevent or reduce your risk of heart disease.

…the future of your heart is in your own hands.

To use an analogy, as humans we are not too different from a motor car: Most of us have a motor car and we all have a heart. Unfortunately, this is where the similarity stops.

  • We usually get our car serviced and checked every six months, change the oil, analyse any ‘symptoms’ and do a preventative service. We rarely do routine checks on our hearts.
  • With our car most people will rush to the mechanic if the oil pressure enters the “red zone” and accept that running at a high pressure will reduce the life expectancy of the engine. We tend to ignore our own bodies (blood) pressure gauge, sometimes despite being told it is in the “red zone”.
  • We pick and choose the oils and fuels we put in our cars. We are mostly unconcerned about the quality of “oil” we put into our bodies
  • Old cars need to be used. If left idle for even a short period, they may not start and parts may seize up, we need to get them out for a run from time to time. Most of us rarely take our bodies and heart for a run.
  • Despite this, if the car breaks down we can simply replace it.

Below is a list in approximate order of importance the factors to reduce your risk of heart disease:

Cholesterol

5. Lower Cholesterol Levels

Maintaining healthy cholesterol levels through diet, exercise, and medication can prevent the buildup of plaques in the arteries, reducing the risk of coronary artery disease.

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Weight Loss and Obesity

7. Weight loss and diet

Adopting a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, along with maintaining a healthy weight, can lower the risk of heart disease.

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By addressing the modifiable factors above we can significantly reduce our likelihood of developing heart disease. Of course exercise alone will have the biggest impact not only on our risk of heart disease but also on blood pressure, cholesterol levels, diabetes, weight and body fat- it would seem the obvious choice.