29 SEPTEMBER IS WORLD HEART DAY
1 October 2024Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide, and it is not for nothing that it is also called the "killer". It is these diseases that affect the duration and quality of life, and the consequences lead to disability, disability or sudden death. Lifestyle and behaviour have a direct impact on the occurrence of cardiovascular disease. Currently, the incidence of these diseases is increasing among young people.
On World Heart Day, which is celebrated on 29 September, let's talk about behavioural risk factors and effective ways to minimise them on your own to reduce the likelihood of getting CVD. In our country, one in three people has 3-5 different risk factors for cardiovascular disease, so we need to start adopting a healthy lifestyle as early as possible.
- Risk factor No. 1. Smoking and use of electronic smoking devices.
Conventional and electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco products and hookahs are harmful to the human body and have a negative impact on blood cells due to the formation of blood clots on the walls of blood vessels. There is no such thing as "safe" or "less harmful" smoking.
Ideally, it is better not to start smoking at all, and if you have already started, then decide to completely get rid of the addiction, and the methods are set out on the website stopsmoking.org.ua.
- Risk factor No. 2. Alcohol consumption.
As with tobacco and alcohol, there is no "safe" dose of alcohol. Alcohol also has a toxic effect on heart cells. hereand in relation to the provision of assistance to persons addicted to alcohol here.
- Risk factor No. 3. Emotional tension and stress.
The consequences of an overreaction to stressful situations are an increase in the level of glucocorticoid hormones and a decrease in the level of estrogen hormone, which leads to an increase in heart rate, blood pressure and cardiovascular system (CVS) stress. The best way to cope with stress is to go for a walk in the fresh air, control your breathing, exercise, etc. here.
- Risk factor No. 4. Sedentary lifestyle.
Insufficient physical activity affects the development of cardiovascular diseases, contributes to overweight and obesity. Maintain an active lifestyle and perform simple physical exercises for the main muscle groups or moderate-intensity aerobic exercises 150 minutes a week, exercises here.
- Risk factor No. 5. Eating disorders.
- Consumption of fast food, which has low nutritional value and high calorie content, contains trans fats, flavourings, food flavours, and carcinogens.
- Consumption of ultra-processed foods, refined carbohydrates, and sugary drinks.
- Excessive food consumption on a daily basis and during festive events.
- Excessive consumption of "added" salt (adding salt to food at the stage of cooking and eating and using sauces) - 50 % of the country's population does so.
- 2/3 of the population does not consume enough fruit and vegetables.
A healthy diet will help you stay fit and prevent heart and vascular disease. You can create a healthy meal plan using the service http://www.prozdorove.com.ua/ration
- Risk factor No. 6. Influence of biological indicators: blood pressure, blood cholesterol, overweight, age, gender.
- Overweight - is a pre-obesity condition when the calculated body mass index is more than 25 units (calculate your BMI - see here). Approximately 60 % of the country's population is currently overweight, which in turn leads to a burden on work and the occurrence of cardiovascular disease.
- Increased blood pressure to more than 140 / 90 mmHg (hypertension) is observed in one third of the country's population, and 40 % people are not even aware of their disease. Regular pressure surges can lead to atherosclerosis, aneurysms, heart attacks, strokes and other problems in the vascular system.
- "Пdisreputable" cholesterol (LDL-cholesterol) in the blood forms plaques on the walls of arteries, which leads to their narrowing, impaired blood circulation and the development of coronary heart disease.
Medicines for the prevention and treatment of high blood pressure, to reduce blood cholesterol and blood thinning are included in the Affordable Medicines programme. https://moz.gov.ua/uk/dostupni-liki
The next two indicators are beyond our control, but they should be taken into account:
- Age - CVD is most common in people over the age of 50, and the risk of the disease increases with age;
- Gender. - CVD is more common in men than in women.
Cardiovascular diseases can be asymptomatic and manifest themselves at the stage of various complications, such as heart attack, stroke and even lead to sudden death. Therefore, it is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle, monitor your health and seek medical advice in a timely manner in case of deterioration of your health.
Remember that it is better to prevent the disease than to treat it and deal with the consequences. Take care of your heart!
https://moz.gov.ua/uk/ukraina-priednalasja-do-vsesvitnogo-dnja-sercja
Tatyana Khil, medical assistant at the VEN(s) of the National Health Centre
