Do you often think about how much lifestyle can affect the state of the body? The fact is that many of our habits can provoke the development of cardiovascular diseases. And they, by the way, are one of the leading causes of death in Russia. What factors should be considered in order not to harm the heart? And what exactly is worth giving up in order to prolong your life? Says the cardiologist.
1. Smoking
Smoking is one of the main causes of the onset and progression of vascular and heart diseases. It has been proven that smoking plays a significant role in chronic inflammation and the formation of atherosclerotic plaques, which negatively affect blood vessels. That is why a heart attack or stroke causes death in half of smokers.
Quitting smoking completely is a difficult task for many. But all the leading heart associations say that this step is most important for the formation of a healthy lifestyle — it can significantly reduce the risk of developing myocardial infarction and increase life expectancy by 3-5 years.
To make nicotine withdrawal less painful, replacement therapy should be used: chewing gums, sprays, tablets, patches. Psychological support is no less important in this case, so relatives and friends need to regularly communicate with those who quit smoking, pronounce all the pluses of the final quitting again and again.1
It is worth noting that electronic cigarettes and nicotine heating systems are now especially popular among those who refuse. However, in spite of the fact that eCigarettes contain fewer toxic substances, they can also form an addiction.
2. Alcohol
Alcohol abuse is the consumption of more than 100 grams of pure alcohol per week. It leads to severe metabolic disorders, some of which adversely affect the heart and blood vessels. In particular, alcohol increases sugar and “bad” cholesterol in the blood, which stimulates atherosclerotic vascular damage, promotes fluid retention in the body and increases blood pressure.
Restriction, or rather a complete rejection of alcohol consumption (even if you do not drink strong alcoholic beverages) is necessary to prevent cardiovascular disease.
3. Food
If your menu is dominated by foods rich in trans fats (palm oil, margarine) and the so-called «fast» carbohydrates (confectionery), then this also contributes to metabolic disorders in the body. Thus, the content of atherogenic lipids in the blood increases, which is one of the reasons for the development and progression of vascular atherosclerosis.
Another important aspect is the consumption of food, excessively rich in salt, which contributes to the development of arterial hypertension.2, 3 Excessive is more than 5 grams of salt. You just need to understand that we do not notice more than 80% of the salt entering the body — it is originally contained in food, and therefore is hardly taken into account.
The Russian Society of Cardiology and a number of International Cardiology Societies strongly recommend eating more fruits, non-starchy vegetables, nuts, legumes, fish (in particular, fatty fish from the northern seas 2-4 times a week), vegetable oils, whole grain foods.1, 8, 9
At the same time, it is useful to reduce the amount of red meats, processed meat products (sausages, sausages), foods high in refined sugars (sugar, flour products, sweet carbonated drinks).
4. Diets
The European Heart Society guidelines mention two diets that have proven beneficial in reducing the risk of developing cardiovascular disease: the Mediterranean and DASH diets.1
Following the Mediterranean diet is associated with a 10% reduction in the incidence of cardiovascular disease. In turn, in people following the DASH diet, systolic blood pressure decreases: in those with arterial hypertension, by 11 mm Hg. Art., and in healthy — 3 mm Hg. Art.
5. Coffee
There is an opinion that coffee should not be consumed by people who have arterial hypertension. It is a myth. Caffeine does have a mild vasoconstrictor effect, but it is very short-term and not so significant as to consider this effect as extremely unfavorable.
If you do not have problems with blood pressure or the pressure is well controlled by medication, then you should not be afraid that by drinking one or two cups of coffee a day, you will cause significant harm to your health. On the contrary, some studies show that moderate coffee consumption (no more than 3-4 cups per day) has a favorable cardiovascular effect even for those who suffer from arterial hypertension.
6. Sport
A sedentary lifestyle and insufficient physical activity contribute to overweight, an increase in triglycerides and cholesterol in the blood, and an increase in oxidative stress. In other words, sitting more than 10 hours a day significantly increases your risk of developing cardiovascular disease.4
The more active a person is physically (and at any age), the more likely he is to live longer, since there is less risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes.10 However, the choice of activity must be approached consciously: its intensity and duration must take into account your state of health — both physical and mental. Therefore, when increasing the load, be sure to consult a doctor or, at least, an experienced fitness instructor.
For sports to have a positive impact on health, they must be regular. So start with what brings you pleasure and what you can easily integrate into your daily life.
7. Treatment
It is extremely important to engage not only in timely prevention of cardiovascular diseases, but also in timely preventive therapy. A fairly common mistake among people with arterial hypertension is the irregular use of antihypertensive drugs. Patients take them only in cases where there is a sharp increase in blood pressure.
This behavior greatly contributes to the progression of hypertension and the development of cardiovascular complications.5 Following the doctor’s recommendations in full (without self-cancellation or replacement of the prescribed treatment) is the basis of almost all modern standards of Russian and European cardiologists.
An important role in the effectiveness of treatment is played by a trusting relationship between the doctor and the patient. It is better to be frank in answering the questions of a specialist — you should not hide the truth from him about your state of health, about when and what medications you take. Distorted information can lead to an erroneous conclusion of the doctor and insufficient effectiveness of the recommended therapy.
Sources:
1 ESC guidelines on CVD prevention 2019
2 Robert J. Ostfeld et al. Ultra-Processed Foods and Cardiovascular Disease Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Volume 77, Issue 12, 30 March 2021, Pages 1532-1534
3 Urinary sodium excretion, blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and mortality: a community-level prospective epidemiological cohort study. Andrew Mente et al. VOLUME 392, ISSUE 10146, P496-506, AUGUST 11, 2018
4 Pandey A, Salahuddin U, Garg S, Ayers C, Kulinski J, Anand V, Mayo H, Kumbhani DJ, de Lemos J, Berry JD. Continuous dose-response association between sedentary time and risk for cardiovascular disease: a meta-analysis. JAMA Cardiol. 2016; 1:575–583. doi: 0.1001/jamacardio.2016.1567
5 Chowdhury R, Khan H, Heydon E, et al. Adherence to cardiovascular therapy: a meta-analysis of prevalence and clinical consequences. Eur Heart J. 2013; 34(38): 2940-2948.
6 Hartmann-Boyce J, McRobbie H, Lindson N, Bullen C, Begh R, Theodoulou A, Notley C, Rigotti NA, Turner T, Butler AR, Hajek P. Electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2020; 10:CD010216.
7 Aburto NJ, Hanson S, Gutierrez H, Hooper L, Elliott P, Cappuccio FP. Effect of increased potassium intake on cardiovascular risk factors and disease: systematic review and meta-analyses. BMJ 2013; 346:f1378.
8 Diagnosis and correction of lipid metabolism disorders in order to prevent and treat atherosclerosis. Russian recommendations IV revision.
9 Arnett et al. 2019 ACC/AHA Guideline on the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease. 2019 ACC/AHA Guideline on the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines. Circulation. 2019 Sep 10; 140(11): e596-e646.
10 Kraus WE, Powell KE, Haskell WL, Janz KF, Campbell WW, Jakicic JM, Troiano RP, Sprow K, Torres A, Piercy KL, 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee. Physical Activity, All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality, and Cardiovascular Disease. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2019; 51:1270-1281.
11 Jakicic JM, Kraus WE, Powell KE, Campbell WW, Janz KF, Troiano RP, Sprow K, Torres A, Piercy KL, 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee. Association between Bout Duration of Physical Activity and Health: Systematic Review. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2019; 51:1213-1219.