Yesterday the European Day for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Health was celebrated, an excuse as good as any other to dedicate today’s blog entry to remembering some basic tips to take care of our hearts and avoid the risks associated with heart diseases.
For José Albors, head of the Cardiac Surgery Service of the Ribera health group at the Hospital del Vinalopo and one of the coordinators of the group’s Heart Area, the secret of a healthy heart lies in education in healthy habits from childhood, “in addition to a good Primary Care network, capable of early detection of risk factors in patients ”.
What are cardiac risk factors
But what are the main risk factors that can damage the heart of a patient who seems healthy? Dr. Albors points out three: hypertension, cholesterol and diabetes.
High blood pressure forces the heart to work harder so that blood reaches the entire body correctly. This causes the left ventricle to thicken, increasing the risk of stroke, heart failure, or sudden death.
Excess cholesterol causes the appearance of plaques in the arteries of the heart, narrowing the flow of blood and even obstructing circulation, which significantly increases the risk of suffering a heart attack.
As far as people with diabetes are concerned, heart problems are pathologies associated with this condition, so symptom control must be stricter.
In addition, adds Dr. Albors, it is important that older people pay attention to the symptoms or risk factors they have in order to see their doctor when necessary and that he or she can perform a physical examination and refer them, if necessary, to a heart specialist.
Take care of women’s hearts. Symptoms.
This epigraph goes far beyond its romantic meaning. And it is that, beyond what many citizens may think, heart disease is not just a matter of men. “The leading cause of mortality in both sexes is cardiovascular disease,” says Dr. Pablo García. In the case of women, however, their condition is sometimes more serious when they reach the specialist because, due to their profile, many do not pay attention to the symptoms that alert them to a possible heart problem and attribute it to situations of stress, anguish or fatigue.
Doctor García gives us three keys to go to the ER or to a specialist to rule out serious disease, depending on the intensity of symptoms:
- chest pain: if we feel a strong pain in the chest, especially when it starts with an effort or with emotions.
- palpitations: especially if they are intense or last for more than 20-30 min. In these cases it is important that we have an electrocardiogram, to rule out an arrhythmia or other pathology.
- Fatigue: especially if we have high blood pressure or if in similar situations we had not experienced this sensation before.
To help make the population aware of the importance of preventing heart disease, the Ribera health group has launched an original campaign, Rhythms of Life, which has involved the design and construction of the first arrhythmic metronome in history, which it sways to the rhythm of a sick heart, that of Adrián, a patient with arrhythmia, who is also a musician. Like Adrián, other musicians, known and anonymous, are collaborating in this campaign by recording short pieces of music that improvise to the rhythm of Adrián’s heart. Get to know the campaign in depth in this link and collaborate, if you wish, by sending your video.
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