60 to 80 times per minute, more than 100,000 times per day: That’s how often our heart beats and pumps blood through our body. There are 7,000 liters of blood within 24 hours – and the heart itself only weighs 300 grams. The heart supplies our organs with oxygen and nutrients; it is truly our heart. At the same time, cardiovascular diseases are the most common cause of death in Austria. If our cardiovascular system is sick, we don’t notice it for a long time: That’s why prevention is particularly important here.
“Reduce stress!” is important advice that cardiologist and internist Stefan Pötz gives for heart health. Treating yourself to relaxation and rest also keeps your heart healthy. At the same time, our heart muscle also needs training: Endurance sports are another recommendation from the experts, regularly three to five days a week and then for 30 to 60 minutes. Whatever you like is allowed: “It’s important to find a sport that you enjoy, because only then will you do it regularly,” says Pötz. A healthy diet based on the Mediterranean diet with little meat but lots of vegetables, fruit and healthy oils also nourishes the heart.
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Do not stop taking heart medication yourself!
The primary at LKH Weiz also has the “HerzMobil” program in Styria established to provide comprehensive care for patients with chronic heart failure (medically: heart failure). “Patients with heart failure need a whole package: In addition to doctors, this includes a multidisciplinary team with dieticians, psychologists and rehabilitation units,” says Pötz. It is also crucial that those affected understand their illness: only if patients know why they should take or carry out which therapy will they stick to the recommendations! This is particularly true for medications that lower blood pressure or reduce blood lipids: patients forget to take them or stop taking them on their own because they fear side effects. “In addition to the important effect, every medication unfortunately always has side effects, but especially in cardiac medicine we have such a large selection of preparations that we can switch to other medications that are better tolerated,” says Pötz.
The doctor appeals: Never stop taking heart medication on your own, this could have dangerous consequences! Instead, you should always talk to the doctor treating you. Pötz also emphasizes: Herbal preparations can be taken as a support, but they never replace the prescribed medication! And: “Interactions with heart medications can occur, so always discuss taking additional medications with your doctor!”
Stefan Pötz, Head of the Department of Internal Medicine at LKH Weiz © LKH/ Remling
For the heart: Go for preventive care
You can’t feel high blood sugar any more than you can feel high blood lipids: That’s why it’s particularly important to have these values measured regularly, as part of your annual health check-up. However, if you already feel any symptoms, you should immediately go to your family doctor. The heart’s warning signals include: shortness of breath or the feeling of being unable to lie flat because you won’t be able to breathe; Pressure on the chest, unexplained drop in performance, swollen lower legs or calf pain when walking, so that you have to stop again and again. “You should take such signs seriously and get checked out,” advises Pötz – for the sake of our health.
