Importance of Heart Health
The human heart is one of the most important and hard-working organs in the body. It’s main function is to pump blood throughout your circulatory system, providing nutrients and oxygen to different parts of the body (1). A healthy heart is important for overall good health, therefore it’s necessary to do what you can to reduce your risk of developing heart disease. Leading a healthy lifestyle, especially when started at a young age, can largely prevent the risk of heart disease.
Heart disease refers to several diseases and conditions which affect heart function such as high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, and a buildup of plaque in your arteries. If heart disease is left untreated it can lead to a heart attack, stroke, aneurysm, heart failure, and death (2). Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Trinidad and Tobago, accounting for 25% of all deaths. The main cause of heart disease is unclear, however there are a number of risk factors that can increase your chance of getting it. The main contributing factors of heart disease in Trinidad and Tobago are diabetes and hypertension (3).
Risk factors of heart disease
There are some risk factors which are non-modifiable meaning they cannot be changed. These include:
Age: Age increases your risk of heart disease.
Gender: Studies have shown men are often diagnosed with heart disease at an earlier age than women (4).
Family history: If you have a relative who developed heart disease before age 55, your risk of developing heart disease increases.
Other risk factors include:
High blood pressure/ hypertension
This is one of the most important risk factors of heart disease. High blood pressure can damage your blood vessels. High blood pressure can be caused from a number of factors such as smoking, lack of exercise, too much sodium in the diet, lack of sleep, your age, or family history (4). There are usually no symptoms of high blood pressure so it’s important to get your blood pressure measured.
High cholesterol
Cholesterol is made by the liver and also found in foods such as meat and dairy. It is a fatty substance found in the blood and is necessary for carrying out certain functions in the body. However if there is too much cholesterol in the body, the extra cholesterol can build up in the walls of the arteries (4). This can cause the narrowing of arteries, decreasing the blood flow to vital organs.
Diabetes
If you have diabetes you are twice as likely to have heart disease or a stroke than someone without diabetes and at a younger age (5). This is due to the fact that over time, high blood sugar can damage blood vessels and nerves that control your heart. People with diabetes are more likely to have other conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high triglycerides in the blood which all increase the risk of heart disease. Check out our previous article on Diabetes Managemen t for more information on how to manage this condition.
Smoking
Smoking tobacco can damage your heart and blood vessels (6).
How can you prevent/ manage heart disease?
Increased physical activity
The heart is a muscle and therefore it needs exercise just like any other muscle. Regular exercise ensures that the heart is working optimally with little strain. The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes of aerobic exercise a week, or 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week as well as adding resistance training (moderate weightlifting) twice a week (7). Being physically active has shown to lower blood pressure and reduce your overall risk of heart disease (8).
Management of stress
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, stress can increase inflammation in your body, causing high blood pressure as well as lowering the good cholesterol in your body (9). Experiencing stress can also cause you to engage in negative behaviours such as drinking alcohol or smoking, sleeping too little, working too much, or trying to get too many things done at once. If you find yourself experiencing stress it’s important to identify the source; are you experiencing stress at home, at work, in social situations? Whatever the case may be, identifying the cause can be beneficial. Consider speaking to your doctor, therapist, or healthcare professional about it.
Cut down on drinking
Drinking in excess has been associated with high blood pressure, heart failure, or stroke.
Moderate drinking has shown to be okay (1 drink/ day for women, 2 drinks/ day for men)
Stop smoking
Quitting smoking will reduce your risk of developing heart disease. Regardless of how much or how long you’ve smoked, quitting will have a positive impact, even if you already have heart disease (6).
Eating a healthy diet
For heart health, you should aim for a diet which is low in sodium, low in saturated and trans fats, high in fibre, and high in fruits and vegetables. Plant-based diets which emphasize a high intake of plant foods and a lower consumption of animal foods have been associated with a lower risk of heart disease (10). Check out our article, AGuide to Plant-Based Eating for more information on how to introduce more plant-based foods into your diet.
Information this week by: Kirstyn Church, an Associate Nutritionist with Nutrition Consulting Services. Tru Valu Supermarket is one of the leading grocery chains in Trinidad and Tobago with five stores and the best customers. Have a question? Email us truvalusupermarkets@gmail.com.
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References
1. “How the Heart Works.” Michigan Medicine , University of Michigan, Dec. 2019, www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/tx4097abc.
2. Olvera Lopez E, Ballard BD, Jan A. Cardiovascular Disease. [Updated 2020 Aug 10]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; Jan 2020, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK535419/
3. “Trinidad and Tobago.” Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, 20 Sept. 2019, www.healthdata.org/trinidad-and-tobago.
4. Fryar, C. D., Chen, T. C., & Li, X. (2012). Prevalence of uncontrolled risk factors for cardiovascular disease: United States, 1999–2010. NCHS Data Brief.
5. “Diabetes and Your Heart.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 31 Jan. 2020,
www.cdc.gov/diabetes/library/features/diabetes-and-heart.html.
6. “Smoking and Your Heart.” National Heart Lung and Blood Institute , U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/smoking-and-your-heart.
7. “American Heart Association Recommendations for Physical Activity in Adults and Kids.” Www.heart.org, American Heart Association, 2018, www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/aha-recs-for-physical-activity-in-ad ults.
8. Nystoriak, M. A., & Bhatnagar, A. (2018). Cardiovascular Effects and Benefits of Exercise. In Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2018.00135
9. “Risk Factors for Heart Disease: Don’t Underestimate Stress.” Johns Hopkins Medicine , www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/risk-factors-for-heart-diseasedont-underestimate-stress.
10. Kim, H., Caulfield, L. E., Garcia-Larsen, V., Steffen, L. M., Coresh, J., & Rebholz, C. M.
(2019). Plant-Based Diets Are Associated With a Lower Risk of Incident Cardiovascular Disease, Cardiovascular Disease Mortality, and All-Cause Mortality in a General Population of Middle-Aged Adults. Journal of the American Heart Association. https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.119.01286
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