Abstract
This piece delves into the crucial role a healthy lifestyle plays in overall human health, with a particular focus on heart disease prevention. Embracing a healthy lifestyle is vital as scientific evidence links heart diseases to sedentary lifestyles, poor dietary choices, and harmful habits.
Introduction: The Importance of a Healthy Lifestyle
Health is not merely the lack of illness, but a holistic state of physical, mental, and social wellness. As of the start of 2022, respiratory diseases are the most commonly newly diagnosed illnesses amongst the population in the Republic of Uzbekistan, followed by digestive and circulatory system diseases. Out of every 100,000 inhabitants, around 3,000 are diagnosed for the first time with diseases of the circulatory system.
Understanding Heart Attacks
From 2016 to 2019 in Uzbekistan, the leading cause of death for people aged 30 to 69 was diseases of the circulatory system, accounting for 71.7% of cases. Cardiovascular diseases, arterial hypertension, and their complications, such as myocardial infarction and cerebral hemorrhage, are the primary causes.
Lifestyle factors in the origin of diseases of the cardiovascular system
There is a significant correlation between lifestyle factors and the onset of cardiovascular diseases. These diseases can vary widely, with some affecting the heart like myocarditis, coronary heart disease, and hypertension, while others damage the arteries, such as atherosclerosis, or veins, like thrombophlebitis.
Myocardial infarction, also known as a heart attack, is the most common cardiovascular disease. It involves an acute disruption of the blood supply to the heart, leading to heart muscle tissue necrosis due to a total or partial lack of blood flow. This can wreak havoc on the entire cardiovascular system, potentially leading to severe complications or even patient death.
This condition often stems from atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries. Atherosclerosis constricts the coronary arteries and inflicts damage to blood vessel walls, which subsequently fosters conditions conducive for blood clot formation and arterial stenosis. There has been an alarming rise in myocardial infarction incidents in recent years. It is particularly prevalent among individuals aged 45-60. Men aged 40-50 experience myocardial infarction five times more frequently than women. It has been noted that women typically develop the disease 10-15 years later than men. Of late, myocardial infarction occurrences have also been on the rise among individuals under the age of 40. This condition is most commonly seen in those suffering from atherosclerosis, hypertension, and diabetes.
The Role of a Healthy Lifestyle in Preventing Heart Attacks
In most instances, myocardial infarction presents as a painful condition, enabling doctors to accurately diagnose the disease and commence immediate treatment. Patients often experience intense chest pain, which can radiate to the left arm, lower jaw, or between the shoulder blades. This condition doesn’t necessarily manifest after physical exertion; more often, the pain appears during periods of rest or in the evening. Though the symptoms bear resemblance to angina attacks, there are distinct differences. Unlike angina, pain from a myocardial infarction lasts more than 30 minutes and isn’t alleviated by rest or repeated doses of nitroglycerin.
Lifestyle Factors Affecting Heart Health
Key preventative factors for myocardial infarction include body weight control and regular physical activity. Excess weight strains the heart, heightening the risk of hypertension and diabetes. Physical activity, which aids in metabolism improvement and weight reduction, has been shown to decrease the risk of myocardial infarction by 30%. Researchers at the University of Cambridge in the UK discovered that engaging in moderate-intensity physical activity for just 11 minutes daily reduces the risk of premature death by 10%. This conclusion was drawn from examining the results of 196 relevant studies. Consequently, walking for 75-90 minutes weekly can lower the risk of death by 10% and the risk of cardiovascular diseases by 5%. Moreover, those walking for the specified duration are 3% less likely to develop cancer. The researchers suggest developing habits like walking or cycling to work, school, college, and university, and incorporating enjoyable physical exercises into daily routines for optimum results.
Monitoring Health Indicators
Eschewing harmful habits.
The risk of developing cardiovascular disease is significantly augmented by smoking and alcohol abuse. For individuals unwilling to forgo these detrimental habits, the risk of myocardial infarction doubles. Engaging in an 11-minute walk daily can reduce the risk of premature death by 10 percent.
Monitoring blood cholesterol.
People aged 40-45 and above should aim to reduce their fat intake. Metabolism tends to slow down from this age onwards, coinciding with a decrease in cholesterol consumption. High levels of cholesterol in the blood can lead to the development of vessel atherosclerosis.
Regulating blood pressure.
If blood pressure consistently exceeds 140/90 millimeters of mercury, it is essential to normalize it using medications, as arterial hypertension significantly burdens the heart.
Checking blood glucose.
Regular blood sugar checks are important for identifying carbohydrate metabolism disorders and preventing diabetes. Elevated blood sugar levels contribute to an increased formation of blood clots and microclots.
Dietary Recommendations for Cardiovascular Health
Limiting the intake of foods rich in table salt, cholesterol, and insoluble fats is crucial. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), industrial trans fats contribute to cardiovascular diseases. Foods like chips, french fries, fried fish and chicken, various pastries, and desserts are all high in trans fats, and excessive consumption of these can lead to cardiovascular diseases. The WHO estimates that this results in 500,000 premature deaths per year. It’s recommended to enrich the diet with fruits and vegetables rich in plant fibers, vitamins, and minerals, as well as seafood. The WHO also recommends a daily intake of one teaspoon – or 5 grams – of iodized table salt and 25-30 grams of sugar (including sugar present in sweets and other foods). Overconsumption of these can lead to adverse changes in the heart, kidneys, and circulatory system. For patients with cardiovascular diseases, it’s advised to reduce animal fats, limit table salt, increase unsaturated fats, reduce the caloric content of food (especially for overweight patients), and consume small meals 5-6 times a day. Eating ample amounts of fiber-rich fruits and vegetables is also beneficial.
For patients with cardiovascular disease, it’s recommended to continue taking blood-thinning medications. These patients often have denser blood, which can impede circulation and increase the likelihood of blood clot formation.
Conclusion: Embracing a Healthy Lifestyle to Forestall Heart Attacks
In conclusion, the role of a healthy lifestyle in preventing myocardial infarction and other cardiovascular diseases cannot be overstated. Numerous factors, including an inactive lifestyle, poor diet, and detrimental habits like smoking and alcohol abuse, have been scientifically proven to contribute to the onset of these diseases. However, by adopting healthier lifestyle choices – including regular physical activity, weight control, and maintaining a balanced, low-fat diet – the risk of developing such conditions can be significantly reduced. Routine health checks, like monitoring blood cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood glucose levels, are also critical to early detection and management of potential health issues. Importantly, for those diagnosed with cardiovascular diseases, adherence to prescribed treatments, including blood-thinning medications, is vital to manage symptoms and prevent complications. The article underscores that health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and it’s in everyone’s power to make choices that steer us towards this goal.
Source: repository.tma.uz
