Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) refers to heart, stroke and blood vessel diseases, caused by a gradual clogging of the arteries that supply blood to your heart, brain and other vital organs. There is no single cause of CVD but there are risk factors that increase your chance of developing it. Modifiable risk factors (factors you can change) include: smoking, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, overweight or obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, poor eating habits (foods that are high in calories, trans fats, salt and/or sugars) and diabetes. Non-modifiable risk factors include: increasing age, gender and genetics (family history of CVD).
The good news is that you can reduce your overall risk of developing CVD by leading a healthy lifestyle such as:
Eating a heart healthy diet
Eat more vegetables, wholegrains, fruits, nuts, seeds, healthier fats, lean meat and poultry and oily fish. Limit sugary, fatty and salty take-away meals and snacks. Drink mainly water.
Be Active Everyday
30 minutes per day of moderate-intensity physical activity, for example, brisk walking
Manage your Blood Cholesterol
LDL/Bad cholesterol should be less than 100mg/dL, HDL/Good cholesterol should be more than 60mg/dL
Manage your Blood Pressure
should be less than 120/80 mm Hg
Body Mass Index (BMI)
should be between 18.6 – 24.9
Manage your Blood Glucose
when fasting; should be less than 100mg/dL
It is also important to be able to detect the early warning signs of a heart attack or stroke.
Heart Attack
A heart attack occurs when an area of your heart muscle is seriously deprived of its blood supply. This happens when an area of plaque, within a coronary artery, cracks forming clots that block blood flow to the heart muscle resulting in death to that area of heart muscle. Symptoms include chest discomfort (uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain), discomfort in areas of the upper body, in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach. You may also experience shortness of breath, cold sweating, nausea or light-headedness.
Stroke
A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot, bursts or ruptures, depriving the brain from blood and oxygen and resulting in death of those brain cells. The acronym F.A.S.T. (FACE drooping, ARM weakness, SPEECH difficulties and TIME to call 811) is currently used across countries for early detection of a stroke in persons.
If you or someone near you is experiencing one or more symptoms of a heart attack or stroke, seek EMERGENCY treatment immediately.