Heart Disease – The Facts
- Jay Homewood
- Oct 21, 2024
- 4 min read
According to the British Heart Foundation, in the UK alone 7.6 million people are living with heart and circulatory diseases, 450 deaths every day from a heart or circulatory disease, more than 100,000 hospital admissions each year to due heart attacks and 1 stroke occurs every 5 minutes. Heart and circulatory disease cause 27% of all deaths in the UK, which works out at about one death every three minutes. It’s not just a condition that affects older people – 43,000 people under the age of 75 in the UK die from heart and circulatory diseases each year. These facts may be shocking to read, but heart disease is on the rise in the UK alongside conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity.
Coronary Heart Disease
Coronary Heart Disease (otherwise known as CHD or Ischaemic Heart Disease) is the most common type of heart disease. CHD occurs when fatty material builds up in the coronary arteries. Pain caused by this build-up is called angina, and full blockages can lead to heart attacks. CHD is the leading cause of death worldwide. In the UK, one in 8 men and one in 13 women die from CHD. Chances of developing CHD are greatly increased in people who smoke, have high cholesterol and high blood pressure, have diabetes, are overweight or do not exercise.
Stroke
When the blood supply to parts of the brain is cut off, this causes a stroke that will damage brain cells. Strokes are the fifth biggest killer in the UK and the second biggest killer worldwide. A common cause of stroke is Atrial Fibrillation, which is an abnormal heart rhythm. When part of the brain does not receive enough oxygen, the brain cells may start to die, and this can lead to Vascular Dementia. A “mini-stroke”, otherwise known as a transient ischaemic attack, occurs when the blood flow to the brain is disrupted temporarily. Much like CHD, the risk of having a stroke is increased by having high blood pressure and high cholesterol as well as diabetes.
Heart Failure
When the heart cannot pump blood around the body as effectively as it should, heart failure can occur. This is most common after a heart attack but is also caused by CHD, high blood pressure, a stroke or congenital heart disease. People who have heart failure are 2-3 times more likely to suffer from a stroke. Heart failure can be acute or chronic and treatment includes medication, surgery such as a heart transplant or a bypass, or taking medication.
This is not a complete list of the types of heart disease but covers some of the most prevalent conditions in the UK and worldwide.
What are the causes?
While some heart diseases like congenital heart disease or genetic conditions are unavoidable, many heart diseases such as CHD, stroke and heart failure can be prevented through lifestyle changes. Factors that increase a person’s chance of developing heart disease include high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, smoking, obesity, poor diet and lack of exercise. Many of these causes are interlinked. For example, people who smoke, do not exercise and are overweight are more at risk of developing high blood pressure and diabetes.
What can we do to reduce our chances of developing heart diseases?
You can reduce your risk of developing heart disease by maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Quitting smoking is one habit that you should break, as smoking has been proven to be a major cause of heart disease with over 20,000 heart disease deaths in the UK each year is attributed to smoking. Smoking increases your risk of blood clots, puts a strain on the heart through carbon monoxide and nicotine entering the body that increases the heart rate, and damages the coronary arteries through chemicals found in cigarette smoke. There is a clear and evidenced link between smoking and heart disease and so quitting will reduce your risk of developing heart disease, and many of the effects of smoking can be reversed after quitting for sustained periods.
Maintaining a healthy weight will also reduce your risk of heart disease. One in six heart disease deaths in the UK can be attributed to a high BMI (Body Mass Index). Physical exercise can help you to maintain a healthy weight and can reduce the risk of developing heart disease by up to 35%. The average adult is advised to do a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week. This can include brisk walking, cycling or activities such as gardening and cleaning. Any activity that raises your heart rate and increases your breathing will count towards the required 150 minutes. For those who prefer more vigorous activity, only 75 minutes of this type of exercise is advised per week. Aerobics, team sports and jogging are examples of vigorous activity. Lifting weights, high-intensity interval training, uphill sprints and spinning classes are considered to be very vigorous activities. Strength exercises can also improve your health but should be done in short and repetitive bursts. By taking part in these exercises, you are reducing the likelihood that you will develop conditions associated with heart disease and preventing the build-up of fatty deposits in your arteries.
Following a healthy diet will also reduce your risk of developing heart disease. Eating too much food with high-fat content can raise cholesterol, increase your weight and increase your risk of developing diabetes. All of these will put you at a higher risk of developing heart diseases. By following a healthy and balanced diet consisting of low saturated fat levels, lower salt and sugar and plenty of fruit, vegetables and fibre, you can reduce your risk of developing heart disease.
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