What do the most Poles die of? Check if you are at risk

Cholesterol builds cell walls and produces some hormones, but an excess of one of them, LDL, called bad, contributes to the formation of plaque in the walls of the arteries and causes hypoxia of the heart. Eliminating from the diet products rich in saturated fatty acids (e.g. cold cuts or fatty cheeses), trans fats (they are found in margarine, chips, deep-fried and fast-food products) helps in lowering cholesterol levels. »). In addition to pharmacology, one of the methods of treating arterial stenosis is the so-called arterial implantation. stents. – The bioresorbable ones are new. They restore the correct lumen of the vessel, and in the following months they “dissolve”, so unlike metal stents, they allow the vessel to return to its full flexibility – says Assoc. Marcin Grabowski from the XNUMXst Chair and Clinic of Cardiology at the Medical University of Warsaw. Unfortunately, the implantation of soluble stents is still not reimbursed in Poland.

Heart failure is a condition in which the heart cannot supply enough blood to all organs. One of the factors that can lead to failure is high blood pressure. And this regardless of whether we are very young or already in old age. It is known, however, that people in their forties who have blood pressure measurements of 140/90 or higher have a risk of developing heart failure as much as twice as high as those whose blood pressure is within the normal range.

The most common heart defects are: narrowing of the atrioventricular opening, which causes a load on the left atrium of the heart, narrowing between the left ventricle and the aorta, which impedes blood flow, forcing the ventricle to work extra, and valve insufficiency – it causes blood to flow directly to the aorta, instead of flowing directly to the aorta, It “moves back” from the left ventricle to the left atrium. Effect? Additional load on the left atrium and the need for its increased work. This over time leads to heart failure, which prevents all tissues and organs of the body from being adequately supplied with blood.

Chronic heart failure is much more common in diabetic patients than in those whose blood sugar is within the normal range and an empty stomach does not exceed 140 mg / dL (7.8 nmol / L). The consequence of diabetes is diabetic cardiomyopathy – damage to the muscle fibers (myocytes) of the heart resulting from disturbances in carbohydrate metabolism. It leads to heart failure.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a disease that affects over 2 million adult Poles. It manifests itself, among others morning bouts of coughing, frequent colds, or almost losing breath when trying to walk briskly. COPD is associated with pulmonary hypertension. And it, in turn, means that the right ventricle of the heart has to do additional work to pump blood into the artery. The result is an overgrowth of the ventricle and heart failure.

Hypothyroidism is especially dangerous. It is associated with a deficiency of the hormones produced by the thyroid gland: thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). The most common cause of hypothyroidism is Hashimoto’s disease. The effects are, among others disorders of the nervous, digestive and blood systems, as well as a reduction in heart rate (bradycardia) that may lead to heart failure.

Nicotine and carbon monoxide have a very toxic effect on the vascular system – they damage the walls of the vessels and narrow their diameter. The effect of vasoconstriction is also an increased risk of blood clots and, consequently, strokes. Not to mention the obvious – the obstruction of blood flow that forces the heart to overwork.

Unfortunately, the risk of developing coronary heart disease increases with age. Every fourth Pole who has reached 75 years of age is at risk of having a heart attack. As we age, we also have a greater chance of suffering from atrial fibrillation, i.e. chaotic and accelerated (350 to 700 beats per minute) work. This is the most common after the so-called cardiac arrhythmia. Unfortunately, flickering is one of the causes of heart failure.

The heart likes to be physically active, especially outdoors. Unfortunately, more than half of Poles do not practice any sport. And just a half an hour’s daily walk, or even better brisk walking, would reduce the risk of developing heart failure. And in people who practice recreational sports, this risk is reduced by as much as 30 percent. More than thirty independent world studies have also confirmed that the beneficial effects of physical activity increase with the amount of exercise. Both in women and men.

If heart defects have appeared in our family, of course there is a risk that we will inherit them. Today, however, cardiologists emphasize that very often the cause of heart disease among relatives is not genes, but the “inheritance” of family habits that are unfavorable to the heart, regarding how we eat, how we spend our free time and whether we use stimulants. Fortunately, we can fight these “genes” ourselves.