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Looking after your heartThis factsheet is for people who are concerned about heart problems and would like information about how to look after their heart. Your heart is designed to last a lifetime, but you have to do your bit to help ensure it stays in good working order. The way you lead your life - what you eat, how you get about, how you spend your leisure time - can help prevent coronary heart disease and premature death.
Heart diseaseHeart disease is a term that covers a variety of conditions that affect the performance of the heart. The most common problem is ischaemic heart disease also known as coronary heart disease or coronary artery disease. In the UK, heart disease kills more people, both men and women, than any other disease. Ischaemic heart diseaseIschaemic (pronounced i-scheme-ik) heart disease is caused by a poor supply of blood to the heart. The poor blood supply is usually caused by the build up of predominantly fatty deposits in the coronary arteries - the small vessels that supply blood to the heart. This causes them to narrow, making it harder for blood to flow to supply the heart. Consequences of ischaemic heart disease include:
Physical activityTaking regular physical activity is one of the best things you can do for your heart. People who do 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity on most days of the week have half the chance of developing heart disease than people who do no activity at all. In addition to its effect on the heart and circulation, exercise can also:
Active people can also eat a little more without having to worry so much about their weight since they burn more calories and have a higher resting metabolic rate. You should aim to do moderate intensity physical activity for at least 30 minutes a day on five or more days of the week. If you have a busy schedule, you can break up the recommended 30 minutes into several shorter sessions - it is the total time that you exercise per day that counts. What's moderate intensity?Moderate intensity physical activity makes you feel warm and slightly out of breath but you can still talk. It helps your heart to become stronger, so that it can pump more blood around your body with less effort. Physical activity and your lifestylePeople of all ages can benefit from physical activity. But it's important to build up your activity levels gradually if you are unaccustomed to rigorous activity. Also, find an activity, or range of activities you enjoy and can do safely and conveniently. There are a wide range of options, including brisk walking, cycling, dancing, swimming or going to the gym. The more vigorous of these can reduce your risk of heart disease by even more than moderate intensity activity. The activity does not have to be a sport, - try gardening (eg raking leaves or mowing the lawn) or taking the stairs instead of taking the lift or choose to walk instead of driving or taking the bus. They all count. Building activity into your daily routine can prevent it becoming a chore. By choosing an activity that you enjoy, it can also be one of the most pleasurable ways to look after your health. There are very few medical reasons not to be physically active but check with your doctor before starting an exercise programme if in doubt. For most people, there are minimal risks if you start gently. Always build up the frequency (how often) before the intensity (how hard) of your physical activity. For further information, see the separate BUPA factsheet, Physical activity. Stopping smokingGiving up smoking not only reduces your risk of developing heart disease, but also reduces the risk of many other serious illnesses, like cancer and the serious lung disease, emphysema. No matter how old you are, it is not too late to stop. As soon as you do, your health will improve. Five years after giving up, the risk of developing heart disease has fallen to the same level as someone who has never smoked. Giving up smoking is not easy and it may take several attempts before you succeed. For more tips and advice on quitting, please see the separate BUPA factsheet, Giving up smoking. Moderate drinkingModerate consumption of alcohol (between 1 and 2 units of alcohol a day) may help to reduce the risk of ischaemic heart disease in men over the age of 40 and women after the menopause. But we know that people who drink heavily are more likely to die of heart disease than those who do not. So, if you drink, do so in moderation. A sensible daily limit of alcohol for men is no more than 3 to 4 units of alcohol per day, and for women, no more than 2 to 3 units per day. The list below shows the number of units of alcohol in various drinks:
Having alcohol-free days is beneficial, binge drinking is not. What is important is the amount of alcohol drunk on each day, so if you have not drunk any units during the week you cannot assume it is safe to drink 21 units (for men) or 14 units (for women) at the weekend. Healthy eatingEating well can help prevent heart disease. Change your diet to a low fat, low salt diet that includes fruit and vegetables. Also, choose healthy cooking methods (grill, bake, steam or microwave instead of frying) and trim fat off meat and remove skin from chicken. For more information about healthy diet, please see the separate BUPA factsheet, Healthy eating. High blood pressureHigh blood pressure (hypertension) increases your chances of developing heart disease. There are usually no symptoms of high blood pressure, so you may not be aware you have it. If you are middle-aged or older, you should have your blood pressure checked annually. For more information on steps to reduce your blood pressure, please see the separate BUPA factsheet, High blood pressure. Further information
Sources
Reviewed by Dr James Quekett, Bsc.MB Ch.B MRCGP DRCOG DFFP, partner/principal general practitioner at Rowcroft Medical Centre. Published by BUPA's health information team, healthinfo@bupa.com, July 2006.
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