Be Heart Smart: Why it matters and what you can do about it

Photo by imelenchon at Morguefile.com

Did you know that Lewisham borough has higher rates of premature death from circulatory diseases (CD) compared to the national average?

This alarming statistic highlights a significant public health challenge.

Circulatory diseases (CD) affect the heart and blood vessels and make it harder for blood to flow throughout your body. It’s true!

Circulatory diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide and Lewisham’s rates reflect a broader public health challenge. This makes it crucial for us to take action and improve our heart health.

• Lewisham ranks 11th out of all London boroughs (there are 32 boroughs) for premature deaths due to CD.

• Premature mortality is highest in Evelyn and New Cross.

• 35% of all deaths in Lewisham are the result of CD.

Circulatory diseases include:

• Coronary heart disease

• Hypertension (high blood pressure),

• Stroke

• Heart failure

• Peripheral artery disease

• Atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat)

So what’s with all the bad news?

The fact is we can do something about this bad news. We can all play a part in improving our heart health. Step by step, we can create new good habits that can have a big impact on our heart health and more besides. We can take charge, we can all be heart smart.

Heart-Smart Top Tips

Eat a heart-healthy diet

Fruit and veg are good for you and we need a minimum of 400g. That's about the same weight as a can of baked beans. It's best to think of this as "5 a day" - five portions of fruit or veg, each about the size of your fist.

Nuts, seeds and grains all contribute to keeping a healthy heart too.

There are other foods that are especially good. For example, dark leafy greens, such as spinach and kale, are rich in nitrates that can help regulate blood pressure.

Fish is also good for heart health as it is rich in omega-3 and doesn’t have to be expensive. Mackerel, sardines, alongside tuna and salmon. (Canned fish is as good as fresh for your health.)

Get active

To keep a healthy heart adults aged between 19-64 need 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise a week.

That’s 30 minutes five-days a week. Brisk walking, walking the dog, dancing, running, cycling and swimming all contribute.

Regular exercise can lower the risk of heart disease by up to 35% and improve overall mood and energy levels.

Stay at a healthy weight

Combining a healthy diet with regular exercise is the best way of maintaining a healthy weight. A weight loss of just 5–10% of your body weight can significantly reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Having a healthy weight reduces your chances of developing high blood pressure. Visit the British Heart Foundation website for excellent tips on managing your weight.

Quit smoking and stay away from second-hand smoke

Smoking is one of the main causes of heart disease. The NHS says a year after quitting smoking your risk of heart attack falls to half of that of a smoker. Then there’s the money you save!

Just 20 minutes after quitting smoking, your heart rate and blood pressure begin to drop. After 12 hours, carbon monoxide levels in your blood decrease to normal.

Control your cholesterol, blood glucose (sugar), and blood pressure

Oats, brans, leafy vegetables, oily fish will all contribute to lower blood sugar and cholesterol.

A ‘Mediterranean diet’ is based on fruit, veg, grains and healthy fats and is considered one of the best diets for good heart health.

Drink alcohol only in moderation 

Excessive alcohol raises blood pressure, which is one of the biggest risk factors for heart attacks and strokes. Avoid binge drinking and try to have more dry days than drinking days each week.

Get enough sleep

Work towards getting eight hours of sleep each night. Easier said than done but six hours or fewer appears to be bad for our heart health increasing the risk of stroke and heart attack

Manage stress

Stress is a high-risk factor for high blood pressure, strokes and heart attacks. Slow, deep breathing is one of the easiest ways to lower high blood pressure and it is the most natural remedy.

Yoga, meditation, and mindfulness have been shown to reduce stress hormones and lower blood pressure over time.

These things don’t have to cost money either – YouTube has lots of high quality, free classes and content to help you - see the examples below.

https://youtu.be/j7rKKpwdXNE?si=I1znjw170fvoS2Cb

https://youtu.be/inpok4MKVLM?si=TEC4IMoFlU-8lf6F