Let's take care of our heart

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. Nearly 19 million lives are lost each year due to these conditions.

These conditions constitute a group of disorders of the heart and blood vessels. In our country, coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease and hypertension alone account for approximately 25% of deaths in recent years.

Every September 29, World Heart Day is commemorated and the importance of cardiovascular health is highlighted with massive information campaigns on how to prevent the disease.

If I told you that 80% of premature cardiovascular deaths could be prevented by limiting risk factors, would you be willing to change your lifestyle for your health? That's the cardiologist's question. Alexander Romero.

For almost 75 years, the scientific community has recognized that there are risk factors for the development of cardiovascular diseases, but thanks to the results of the Framingham study carried out in the United States, there are "classic" risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol, for which different strategies and public health campaigns have been sought to reduce their prevalence in the general population.

However, there are behavioral risk factors that "emerge" silently in the population without distinguishing between age, sex or social class: unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, tobacco and alcohol consumption.

Quitting tobacco use, reducing salt in the diet, increasing vegetable and fruit intake, regular physical activity and avoiding harmful alcohol use have all been shown to reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

But what can we do to improve our cardiovascular health?

As for a healthy diet, the American Heart Association recommends the so-called "DASH" diet, which stands for "Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension," which has been used to control hypertension, and the Mediterranean diet to achieve cardiovascular health.

As for physical activity, it is recommended to achieve 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic exercises to reduce cardiovascular risk, as well as avoiding nicotine and the use of electronic cigarettes, among others.

It is expected that every person over 35 years of age with a family history of cardiovascular disease or with one or more "cardiovascular risk factors" begins an annual medical consultation as a measure to monitor and control their cardiovascular health.

Dr. Alexander Romero
Specialist in Cardiology