Being diagnosed with a heart condition or having to undergo heart surgery can be a frightening experience and is often life changing. Over the past decade, I have helped and supported many patients who have been diagnosed with heart disease or experienced cardiac surgery. It has been my pleasure to support, motivate and guide these patients through their cardiac rehabilitation journey and beyond.
In addition to offering this support, I am passionate about helping people reduce their risk of developing heart disease. A low level of activity is one of the biggest risk factors for developing heart disease and making some simple lifestyle changes can have a big impact on reducing that risk.
Did you know?
- Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is one of the UK’s leading causes of death and the most common cause of premature death.
- 3 million people in the UK are living with CHD.
- There are 163,000 deaths from heart and circulatory diseases each year in the UK.
- One person suffers a stroke every five minutes.
What is Coronary Heart Disease?
CHD is usually caused by a build-up of fatty deposits on the walls of the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart. The build-up of these fatty acids, known as atheroma, can restrict the flow of blood to the heart. This is called atherosclerosis and if the build- up becomes significant enough to stop the blood flow to part of the heart it can lead to a ‘heart attack’ leaving damage to the heart muscle.
What are the risk factors?
Your risk of developing atherosclerosis can be significantly increased by:
Smoking
Both nicotine and carbon monoxide place strain on the heart, making it work harder and increasing the risk of developing blood clots. Help to stop smoking is widely available via the NHS and other bodies.
High Blood Pressure
Many adults do not realise that they have high blood pressure. If left untreated high blood pressure greatly increases the risk of developing CHD or stroke. There are many causes of high blood pressure including stress, excess alcohol, being overweight, a lack of physical activity and too much salt in the diet.
High cholesterol
This is caused by an excess of the fatty substance, cholesterol, in your blood. There are different types of cholesterol within our blood (good and bad cholesterol). It is important that these fatty substances are present in the right proportion. High cholesterol levels are usually caused by eating too much fatty food, being overweight, smoking, excessive alcohol intake and low levels of activity.
Diabetes
High blood sugar levels increase the risk of CHD because they can cause the lining of the blood vessels to thicken which, in turn, leads to restricted blood flow.
Other risk factors of developing CHD include family history and congenital heart conditions.
How to be proactive in preventing CHD
- Enjoy a heart-healthy diet which includes foods low in sugar and fat.
- Maintain a healthy weight through good diet and regular physical activity.
- Limit alcohol intake.
- Keep blood sugars under control.
- Check your blood pressure.
- Reduce stress and find time for activities like mindfulness and yoga.
If you require further advice or support to take control of your heart health the team at Walnut Grove will be pleased to help. Similarly, if you have been diagnosed with a heart condition or have undergone heart surgery, call the clinic to discover how we can help you through your rehabilitation journey and beyond.
