Cardiovascular Health
Healthy Hearts, Happier Lives: Essential Tips for Everyday Wellness
The heart is a vital organ, which pumps blood to aid in the transport of oxygen and nutrients around the body.
Eating Well For Healthier Hearts
The intake of a balanced diet is an age-old recommendation that has been shown to greatly contribute to good cardiovascular health. Lopez et al. (2022) state that cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been among the leading cause of death in developed countries since 1975, providing an insight into how an unhealthy diet may affect a person`s health.
An unhealthy diet may be defined as one which contains considerable amounts of salt, simple carbohydrates, free sugars and saturated fats (NHS, 2022). Therefore, a heart healthy diet should consist of fibrous foods such as fruit and vegetables, proteins, as well as complex carbohydrates such wholemeal grains, rice and cereals. It is also recommended that salt intake is reduced to a maximum of 6g per day for adults, in order to reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure. Furthermore, processed sugars such as those found in sweets should also be limited since these quickly make their way into the blood stream and may increase the risk of type-2 diabetes and high cholesterol. Saturated fats from animal sources and processed meats are also harmful as these may contribute to cholesterol depositing within the arteries, which may in turn increase the risk of heart attack, stroke and peripheral vascular disease.
Staying Active Strengthens Hearts
Alongside diet, physical activity plays a major role in cardiovascular health and in promoting weight loss. It is a known fact that regular exercise aids in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease as well as its risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
The National Heart, Lung and Blood institute state that regular physical activity also improves lung capacity, and hence aids in providing more oxygen to the body with every breath, therefore reducing the load on the heart (NHLBI, 2024). Moreover, good fitness helps to further strengthening the heart as a muscle and by inducing a lower heart rate, and improving the heart’s overall efficiency. It is suggested that 75 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical exercise, or 150 minutes of light-to-moderate intensity physical exercise is enough to reap the maximum health benefits that exercise has to offer (NHLBI, 2024). This may include jogging, walking, cycling, swimming, aerobics or fitness dance classes as well as gymnastics.
Reducing Stress for Stronger Hearts
Physical activity and balanced diets may not only contribute to all the health benefits mentioned above, but may also reduce the risks of anxiety and depression which may also have a detrimental effect on cardiovascular health. Steptoe and Kivimake (2012) argue that “chronic stress predicts the occurrence of coronary heart disease (CHD)” and that “Employees who experience work-related stress and individuals who are socially isolated or lonely have an increased risk of a first cardiovascular health event” (Steptoe & Kivimäki, 2012). It seems clear that stress has a direct impact on heart health because it activates the body’s “fight-or-flight” response. This response, controlled by the sympathetic nervous system, increases heart rate and narrows blood vessels, which can put added strain on the heart. If this system is triggered too often or for too long, it may lead to heart problems due to the constant pressure on the cardiovascular system. Stress may also lead to tertiary problems such as poor diet; smoking and poor coping behaviours which ultimately further affect the heart in that these behaviours may lead to high blood pressure, obesity, high blood cholesterol and diabetes – which all pose increased risk of cardiovascular disease (Steptoe & Kivimäki, 2012).
The Risks of Smoking and Alcohol on Cardiovascular Disease
The National Heart, Lung and Blood institute (2022) states that “smoking harms nearly every organ in the body, including the heart, blood vessels and lungs” proving to be one of the leading causes of disease. Being a positive chronotropic agent, nicotine raises the heart rate and causes vasoconstriction, making it harder for the heart to efficiently pump blood and for the lungs to take in the required amount of oxygen. Cigarettes and vaping for that matter also may increase plaque build-up in several arteries, increasing the likelihood of developing atherosclerosis, a disease preventing the normal functioning of arterial blood vessels. Alongside smoking, many studies including that of Lavie et al. (2024) found that higher levels of alcohol consumption are associated with increased cardiovascular risk.
Small Steps, Big Impact!
The heart is a vital organ which may be affected by most of our daily choices and lifestyle behaviours. Therefore, it is important to maintain a healthy weight and balanced diet, cut down on smoking and alcohol and practice regular physical activity whilst also finding time to wind down and relax, to reduce stress and improve the overall quality of life. All of these efforts will aid in maintaining good cardiovascular health.
References
(2022, May 24). Physical Activity and Your Heart: Benefits. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institution. Retrieved February 6, 2024, from https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/heart/physical-activity/benefits
(2022, May 24). Smoking and Your Heart: How Smoking Affects the Heart and Blood Vessels. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Retrieved November 7, 2024, from https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/heart/smoking
Lavie, C. J., O`Keefe, J. H., Bhatti, S. K., Bajwa, A., & DiNicolantonio, J. J. (2024). Alcohol and Cardiovascular Health: The Dose Makes the Poison…or the Remedy. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 89(3), 382-393. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2013.11.005
Lopez, E. O., Ballard, B. D., & Jan, A. (2023). Cardiovascular Disease (1st ed.). Stat Pearls [Internet]. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK535419/
National Health Services UK (2022, July 29). Eating a Balanced Diet. NHS. Retrieved November 6, 2024, from https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/how-to-eat-a-balanced-diet/eating-a-balanced-diet/
National Health Services UK (n.d.). Quiting Smoking. NHS. Retrieved November 7, 2024, from https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/
Steptoe, A., & Kivimäki, M. (2012). Stress and cardiovascular disease. Nature Reviews Cardiology, 9(1), 360-370. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrcardio.2012.45
Article in collaboration by Mr. Gabriel Falzon – B.A. (Melit), Nursing student & Dr. Georgiana Farrugia Bonnici (Medical doctor)
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