Listen to your Heart

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.
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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

A number of other risk factors have also been identified, including raised triglyceride levels (made in the body from excess carbohydrates in the diet) and a raised homocysteine level (linked with lack of folic acid, vitamin B6 and B12).


Tips to help avoid a heart attack

Stop smoking
Smokers are five times more likely to have a heart attack in their 30s and 40s than non-smokers and three times more likely to have one overall. Stopping smoking can reduce your risk of a heart attack by as much as 50 to 70 per cent within five years. The most effective way to reduce you risk!

Lose any excess weight
Those who are overweight are one and a half times more likely to have a heart attack than someone who maintains a healthy weight. If you are obese, your risk can double, especially if you store excess fat around your middle (apple shaped). Getting down to a healthy weight can reduce your risk of a heart attack by 35 to 55 per cent.
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Take regular exercise
People who exercise for 20 to 30 minutes, at least five times per week, are half as likely to have a heart attack than those who are physically inactive. Activities such as DIY, gardening and dancing are just as effective as swimming or cycling for heart health.

Keep alcohol intake within safe limits
A moderate alcohol intake, especially red wine, can reduce your risk of heart disease by 25 to 45 per cent. If you regularly drink more than six units in one session however, your risk of a heart attack doubles. Men should aim to drink no more than three or four units of alcohol per day, while women should drink no more than two to three units per day.

One unit of alcohol is equivalent to:
100 ml (one glass) of wine
50 ml (one measure) of sherry
25 ml (one tot) of spirit
300 ml (half a pint) of normal strength beer

Watch your glycemic index
One in three heart attacks are due to an unhealthy diet with too much processed foods (containing manufactured trans-fats), excess carbohydrates (especially sugar and white flour), and not enough vegetables and low-glycemic fruits. Concentrate on obtaining whole foods providing beneficial fats such as olive, rapeseed, walnut and fish oils, and cut back on processed, high-glycemic foods such as doughnuts, cakes and biscuits. Low carbohydrate diets have been shown to lower triglyceride levels and raise the good HDL-cholesterol.

Eat more fish
Fish oils can thin the blood, lower blood pressure and, if you suffer from heart disease, can reduce your risk of a fatal heart attack by a third. Ideally we should eat two portions of fish per week, of which one should be oily (for example, salmon, tuna, herrings, sardines or mackerel). If you don't like fish, consider taking an omega-3 fish oil supplement instead.
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Get your five portions
Fruit and vegetables contain fibre plus important vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and beneficial plant hormones. Eating at least five servings per day reduces your risk of premature death from any cause at any age (but especially from coronary heart disease) compared with those who eat less.

Cut back on salt
If everyone reduced the amount of salt in their diet, at least one in seven heart attacks would be prevented. Avoid the obvious salty foods (for example, crisps, bacon, pickled fish and meats and products tinned in brine) and stop adding salt during cooking or at the table. Instead, get added flavour from herbs, spices and black pepper instead.

Avoid excess stress
When you are under excess stress, your blood pressure goes up by an amount equivalent to carrying an extra 40lbs in weight, or an additional 20 years in age. Together with spasm of coronary arteries, this can trigger a heart attack. Take time out to relax whenever you feel tense.

Think about isoflavones
Isoflavones are weak plant hormones that interact with oestrogen receptors within the circulation to mimic some of the beneficial effects of oestrogen, helping to dilate coronary arteries, increase heart function, reduce levels of harmful LDL-cholesterol and blood stickiness to prevent unwanted clotting. Try eating more soy products and yellow-green vegetables and cruciferous plants - these include exotic members of the cabbage and turnip families (for example, kohlrabi and Chinese leaves). Isoflavone supplements are also available.

Have your blood pressure (BP) checked regularly
High blood pressure affects one in five adults. It is known as the silent killer as it can creep up on you, without causing symptoms, to trigger a sudden heart attack or stroke. Even if your blood pressure is dangerously high, you may feel relatively well. Have your BP checked at least once a year. If your BP is high, good control will reduce your risk of a heart attack by two to three per cent for each 1mm Hg fall in diastolic BP (the pressure in your system when your heart is relaxed between beats).

Have your urine checked regularly for glucose
A woman is three to seven times more likely to have a heart attack if her blood sugar level is raised or poorly controlled (for a man, the risk is two to three times greater). Have your urine screened regularly for glucose - at least once a year. If you have diabetes, you can reduce your risk of a heart attack by keeping your blood sugar level within tight limits. Ask your doctor for further advice.

Have your blood fat levels checked
Some types of fat in the blood (like HDL-cholesterol) help to protect against a heart attack, while others (like triglycerides and LDL-cholesterol) are linked with an increased risk of heart disease. If you are at risk of heart problems, your doctor will usually be happy to have your blood fat levels analysed. Reducing abnormally raised blood cholesterol levels by just 10 per cent could prevent one in four heart attacks occurring.

Take garlic tablets
Taking garlic tablets can lower high blood pressure, reduce high blood fat levels and thin the blood enough to reduce the risk of heart disease by up to 25 per cent.

Take an antioxidant supplement
People with high blood levels of the antioxidant vitamins C and E (usually through taking supplements) are three times less likely to have a heart attack than those with low levels. Research also suggests that taking high dose vitamin E (400 iu /268mg) reduces the risk of a heart attack by 75 per cent for those who already had heart disease. Antioxidant supplements are especially important for smokers and people with diabetes.

Take a folic acid supplement
Around one in 10 people have inherited high blood levels of the amino acid, homocysteine. This damages artery linings and more than triples the risk of a heart attack. One in 160,000 people have extremely high levels with 30 times the risk of premature heart disease. Taking supplements of folic acid (400mcg to 650mcg per day) can reduce high levels of homocysteine in the blood. Vitamins B6 and B12 also have a beneficial effect. Foods rich in folic acid include green leafy vegetables (for example, spinach, broccoli, Brussel sprouts) and whole grains.

Take half an aspirin a day
Aspirin is so powerful at preventing blood clots that only half a tablet (150mg) is needed per day to reduce your risk of a heart attack by a third. You may benefit from taking aspirin if you have:

angina / already had a heart attack / had heart surgery / poor circulation in the limbs / diabetes / an increased risk of heart disease from any cause.

Ask your doctor for advice - because of the risk of side effects this is not something you should take without speaking to your GP first.


And finally last but not least, is the Christian Today Health's favorite...

Drink more tea
Research suggests that drinking four cups of tea per day, 1,460 cups per year, may halve your risk of a heart attack. Tea is a rich source of flavonoids, the chemicals known to give red wine its beneficial properties. Other important sources of flavonoids include garlic, onions and apples.

Perhaps one of the greatest home remedies not yet discovered, drinking cups of tea everyday is healthy, safe, and above all, a thirst quenching way of meeting your drinking needs!