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The National Health Test of Poles 2020 is an initiative prepared by Medonet in cooperation with experts in various fields of medicine. With the help of the questionnaire, we checked how Poles care about their health, what they eat, how much sport they play and what their attitude towards preventive examinations is. Today, we take care of the heart and circulatory system as a wallpaper. What can we learn about this from the report?
- We learn from the report that 26 percent of patients are diagnosed with arterial hypertension. respondents. At the same time, 74 percent. over the past year, it has been measuring blood pressure. Therefore, some of them may not be diagnosed. It is estimated that up to 15 million Poles suffer from hypertension
- Only 39 percent. of respondents regularly check the level of cholesterol in the blood. The older we are, the more regularly we perform this examination. As much as 30 percent. Poles do not test cholesterol at all, and 32 percent. does not remember his last result
- Our habits do not help to care for the heart. As much as 50 percent. Poles do not play any sport. 9 percent admits that he consumes alcohol every day. Virtually all of us experience stress, and a quarter of us feel it every day
One fourth of respondents has arterial hypertension
Hypertension is a condition that is characterized by high blood pressure. High, which is what? High blood pressure is assumed to be greater than 140 mmHg for systolic blood pressure and / or 90 mmHg for diastolic blood pressure.
According to the report of the National Health Test of Poles, 26% are diagnosed with arterial hypertension. respondents. A large proportion of people may not even know that they have pressure problems because high blood pressure develops slowly and imperceptibly. More about the symptoms: Hypertension – Causes, Symptoms and Treatment. How to take a measurement?
It is estimated that up to 15 million people in Poland may have hypertension
We also learn from the report that 9 percent. of respondents are diagnosed with heart disease (ischemic heart disease / heart valve defect / heart failure / atrial fibrillation). The percentage of people with these diseases increases with age.
Cardiovascular diseases are one of the main causes of death in Poland. In 2017, they accounted for as much as 41,5 percent. all deaths.
More than half of the respondents admitted that in their immediate family cardiovascular diseases, such as hypertension, heart attack or stroke, appeared at an early age (in women before 65 and in men under 55).
Even though we know the risks and know that heart disease and high blood pressure are dangerous to our health, it is not quite clear where they come from. This can be seen especially in answers to questions about preventive examinations, as well as diet and physical activity.
Who measures blood pressure regularly?
When it comes to taking blood pressure measurements, we seem to be disciplined about it. Overall, 74 percent. Poles have been taking their blood pressure over the past year. Young people test blood pressure less often – 61 percent. people aged 18-24 have their blood pressure checked regularly. The older the age group, the higher the percentage of people who check the blood pressure – it is as much as 65 percent among people over 91.
56 percent of respondents have normal blood pressure, 20 percent is in the upper range of the norm with high normal pressure, and 8 percent. has high blood pressure. 9 percent do not remember their result, and 7 percent. does not control the pressure at all.
We forget about regular cholesterol tests
Cholesterol is a chemical that is essential for the proper functioning of the body. It occurs in tissues and blood plasma. In recent years, cholesterol has been labeled the public enemy number one and is accused of all the worst. Is it right? Yes, in part. We can divide cholesterol into the “bad” LDL and the “good” HDL. We need the good one for proper functioning. The excess of “bad” is deposited in the blood vessels, leads to their narrowing, impedes blood flow, and reduces the amount of oxygen. All of this leads to an increased risk of stroke or heart attack.
This is why your doctor recommends regular blood cholesterol tests. Meanwhile, as research shows, in the last year, only 39 percent. of the respondents examined the concentration of cholesterol in the blood. If we look at the age of the respondents, it turns out that only 17 percent. 18-24 people had recently tested their cholesterol levels. The older we are, the more often we remember about this study. In the group of people over 65 years of age, the test was performed by 67%. people.
As much as 30 percent. Poles do not check blood cholesterol at all. 21 percent has normal blood cholesterol levels (<4,5 - 5,0 mmol / l), and a quarter of the norm is exceeded, including 3% of them. significantly. 32 percent of us do not remember our last result, which is also disturbing.
It is a good idea to enter regular blood cholesterol tests in your calendar. What other tests should be performed prophylactically?
- Preventive examinations for men of all ages
- Preventive examinations for women of all ages
Factors influencing cardiovascular diseases
Regular cholesterol testing and blood pressure measurement are the basis of prevention in cardiovascular diseases. It is worth knowing what factors influence the development of hypertension and heart disease. Some causes of hypertension are beyond our control and include genetic predisposition or other ailments.
There are also factors that we can influence and which contribute to the occurrence of, inter alia, high blood pressure. We include among them:
- unsanitary lifestyle;
- overweight and obesity;
- smoking;
- physical inactivity;
- excessive salt consumption;
- chronic stress;
- drinking a lot of alcohol.
Now that we know what factors that increase the risk of hypertension we have influence on, can we eliminate them? It may be hard. Take stress, for example: chronic stress can be a factor in the development of heart disease. Meanwhile, 99 percent. Poles experience stress. 24 percent of us every day, and 31 percent. a few times a week.
We also often reach for alcohol – another enemy of a healthy heart. 11 percent Poles declare complete abstinence. 85 percent women and 92 percent. of men, the answer is affirmative to the question: do you drink alcohol?
9 percent Poles drink alcohol every day (15% of men and 4% of women). Every third man and every seventh woman drink alcohol several times a week. It’s good to know that there is no safe dose of alcohol. Any amount, especially if consumed regularly, can lead to many health problems, including heart and vascular diseases.
Additionally, we run the so-called sedentary lifestyle. Half of Poles admit that they do not play any sport. 24 percent spends at least two hours a week on exercise, and 13 percent. less than four hours a month.
The WHO recommends at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity physical activity. It is an essential way to improve not only physical but also mental health
More about the factors that increase the risk of heart disease:
The previous summaries are also worth reading:
- The National Health Test of Poles 2020. A few words about obesity
- The National Health Test of Poles 2020. Health and lifestyle index
- National Health Test of Poles 2020 percent. of his countrymen suffer from diabetes