According to the British Heart Foundation, someone in UK will have a heart attack every two minutes whilst 2.6 million of us are facing life with this disease. This number is set to increase despite the ongoing public health measures to reduce this; less than two-thirds to three-quarters of us meet the recommended amounts of daily exercise to reduce our risk.
Isn't it time we started to pay attention to this attention seeking disease?
Am I at risk from CHD?
A significant number of us have coronary heart disease but are not aware of it, and, in many cases, a heart attack is the first indication that someone has a cardiovascular problem.
The main risk factors that increase your chance of having heart disease include:
Family history of heart problems
Smoking - around 28 per cent men and 24 percent of women smoke)
High blood pressure - 34 percent of men and 30 per cent of women have hypertension
High LDL-cholesterol level - affecting 66 per cent of men and women
Diabetes - affects an estimated three per cent of women - a similar number may have diabetes but not realise it
Overweight and Obesity - at least 43 percent of men and 33 percent of women are overweight while approximately 22% of both men and women are obese
Physical Inactivity - only 37 per cent of men and 25 per cent of women exercise for 30 minutes, at least three times a week
Lack of Dietary Antioxidants - only 13 percent of men and 15 per cent of women eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day
