Combat cardiovascular diseases together
World Heart Day 2011 highlights the need to take charge of your home's heart health and reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke
Cardiovascular diseases are the world's largest killers, claiming 17.3 million lives a year. According to WHO and the World Heart Federation, risk factors for heart disease and stroke include raised blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels, smoking, inadequate intake of fruit and vegetables, overweight, obesity and physical inactivity.
World Heart Day was created in 2000 to inform people around the globe that heart disease and stroke are the world's leading cause of death, claiming 17.1 million lives each year. Together with its members, the World Heart Federation spreads the news that at least 80% of premature deaths from heart disease and stroke could be avoided if the main risk factors, tobacco, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity, are controlled. World Heart Day takes place on September 29th each year.
After two years of focusing on heart health in the workplace, this year WHO and the World Heart Federation have called on individuals to reduce their own and their family's risk of heart disease and stroke.
They have asked people to take charge of their home's heart health by taking steps such as choosing healthy food options, increasing physical activity, and saying no to tobacco.
Prevention measures
l Have your cholesterol checked. Test your cholesterol levels at least once every five years. Talk with your doctor about this simple blood test.
l Monitor your blood pressure. High blood pressure has no symptoms, so be sure to have it checked on a regular basis.
l Manage your diabetes. If you have diabetes, closely monitor your blood sugar levels. Talk with your doctor about treatment options.
l You and your doctor can work together to prevent or treat the medical conditions that lead to heart disease. Discuss your treatment plan regularly and bring a list of questions to your appointments.
Raising the Good Cholesterol
l Most people are usually concerned about their total cholesterol levels, and their amount of LDL (the "bad cholesterol"). But in reality, low HDL levels are also closely linked to coronary heart disease. According to a recent article in the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, a low level of the "good cholesterol" (HDL-C) is the most common lipoprotein abnormality in people with coronary heart disease. These low levels best predict the risk of heart disease, even when the total cholesterol is within the normal range.
l The National Cholesterol Education Program defines an HDL reading below 40 as an independent risk factor for heart disease. Lifestyle measures for raising your HDL levels include weight loss, drug therapies, and omega-3 (fish oil) supplementation. While there are no magic dietary bullets that raise HDL levels, merely replacing fat with carbohydrates without reducing caloric intake can cause good cholesterol levels to fall by as much as 20 per cent. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, help lower blood cholesterol when used in place of saturated fats.
l Even more important than diet and weight loss is regular aerobic exercise. The more aerobic exercise you do, (such as running, brisk walking, swimming or cycling) the higher the good cholesterol will be. And the duration of the exercise rather than the intensity appears to have the biggest influence. Good cholesterol rises about a milligram for every four or five miles run/ covered each week.
World Heart Day 2011 highlights the need to take charge of your home's heart health and reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke
Cardiovascular diseases are the world's largest killers, claiming 17.3 million lives a year. According to WHO and the World Heart Federation, risk factors for heart disease and stroke include raised blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels, smoking, inadequate intake of fruit and vegetables, overweight, obesity and physical inactivity.
World Heart Day was created in 2000 to inform people around the globe that heart disease and stroke are the world's leading cause of death, claiming 17.1 million lives each year. Together with its members, the World Heart Federation spreads the news that at least 80% of premature deaths from heart disease and stroke could be avoided if the main risk factors, tobacco, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity, are controlled. World Heart Day takes place on September 29th each year.
After two years of focusing on heart health in the workplace, this year WHO and the World Heart Federation have called on individuals to reduce their own and their family's risk of heart disease and stroke.
They have asked people to take charge of their home's heart health by taking steps such as choosing healthy food options, increasing physical activity, and saying no to tobacco.
Prevention measures
l Have your cholesterol checked. Test your cholesterol levels at least once every five years. Talk with your doctor about this simple blood test.
l Monitor your blood pressure. High blood pressure has no symptoms, so be sure to have it checked on a regular basis.
l Manage your diabetes. If you have diabetes, closely monitor your blood sugar levels. Talk with your doctor about treatment options.
l You and your doctor can work together to prevent or treat the medical conditions that lead to heart disease. Discuss your treatment plan regularly and bring a list of questions to your appointments.
Raising the Good Cholesterol
l Most people are usually concerned about their total cholesterol levels, and their amount of LDL (the "bad cholesterol"). But in reality, low HDL levels are also closely linked to coronary heart disease. According to a recent article in the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, a low level of the "good cholesterol" (HDL-C) is the most common lipoprotein abnormality in people with coronary heart disease. These low levels best predict the risk of heart disease, even when the total cholesterol is within the normal range.
l The National Cholesterol Education Program defines an HDL reading below 40 as an independent risk factor for heart disease. Lifestyle measures for raising your HDL levels include weight loss, drug therapies, and omega-3 (fish oil) supplementation. While there are no magic dietary bullets that raise HDL levels, merely replacing fat with carbohydrates without reducing caloric intake can cause good cholesterol levels to fall by as much as 20 per cent. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, help lower blood cholesterol when used in place of saturated fats.
l Even more important than diet and weight loss is regular aerobic exercise. The more aerobic exercise you do, (such as running, brisk walking, swimming or cycling) the higher the good cholesterol will be. And the duration of the exercise rather than the intensity appears to have the biggest influence. Good cholesterol rises about a milligram for every four or five miles run/ covered each week.
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