World Heart Day: Looking after our cardiovascular health

Written by: Daniel Murphy, Nurse Analyst in MLS.

Looking after our heart health is incredibly important; after all, the organ is always working hard to deliver nutrient and oxygen-rich blood around our body!

29^th September 2024 marks the annual World Heart Day, aimed at highlighting the impact cardiovascular disease and ill heart health can have on the population, with the goal of the World Heart Federation’s Heart Day campaign aiming to send the message globally on how to reduce the number of preventable deaths from this condition.

Cardiovascular disease, or CVD, remains prevalent in today’s modern society, with the British Heart Foundation (BHF) ^[1] quoting that around 7.6 million people in the UK are living with heart and circulatory disease. These conditions are responsible for around a quarter of all deaths in the UK, equating to one death every three minutes.

This sobering statistic alone exemplifies just how important it is for us to look after our hearts, and as the NHS states ^[2], there are several ways in which you can reduce your risk of developing any potential heart disease in future.

So, what is cardiovascular disease (CVD)?

As the World Heart Federation says ^[3], CVD is a class of diseases affecting the heart and blood vessels. The umbrella term is used for certain known conditions, such as heart disease, a heart attack and strokes to name just a few.

Symptoms may not always be present, depending on the condition you may suffer from. However, the World Heart Federation lists certain potential symptoms that may be present with a variety of heart conditions that make up CVD. These are:

• Chest pain or tightness
• Pain and weakness in the upper and lower limbs
• Pain or discomfort in the jaw, neck, shoulder and back
• Shortness of breath, both on rest and exertion
• Easily tiring during exercise or activity
• Weakness or fatigue
• Changes in your heart rhythm

Given that CVD acts as an umbrella term for several different heart conditions, it is always advisable to contact your GP in the first instance with any noticeable symptoms relating to your heart or blood vessels. A sudden onset of moderate-severe symptoms may require an emergency hospital attendance for further review to ensure your heart is working as it should.

And how can I prevent CVD?

Some risk factors for CVD unfortunately cannot be modified, such as a familial history of cardiac conditions. These non-modifiable risk factors may be monitored by your GP if required.

However, certain risk factors for CVD could be prevented through our lifestyle choices. Behaviours such as excessive alcohol, tobacco smoking and an unhealthy diet can result in negative effects on the body such as raised blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity. In turn, these effects on your body can then increase the risk of developing CVD.

It is important to address your lifestyle as a whole in order to reduce to risk of developing CVD in your future.

The NHS offers some simple tools and modifications you can make to your everyday life to contribute to reducing your risk of any future heart disease. These include: ^[2]

• Eating a healthy, balanced diet
• Being more physically active
• Keeping to a healthy weight
• Giving up smoking
• Reducing alcohol consumption
• Keeping blood pressure and diabetes under control
• Taking any prescribed medications as instructed

Further guidance on the above lifestyle modifications and risk factors can be found on both the British Heart Foundation and World Heart Federation websites, as well as through the NHS Online advice pages.

I’ve been diagnosed with CVD, what do I do?

Having a heart condition can understandably be a worrying diagnosis, but there are treatments available for a range of different cardiovascular conditions to try and maximise your chances at living a healthy life. These may include:

• Lifestyle changes, such as stopping smoking with support from NHS services or changing your diet.
• Medication, including blood pressure and blood-thinning tablets to control your condition
• Devices, such as pacemakers, to monitor and alert you to any changes in your heart’s rhythm
• Surgery, including heart valve and stenting procedures.

Different cardiovascular conditions may be treated differently depending on your symptoms and the impact the condition has upon your life. Therefore, it is incredibly important to keep in regular contact with the relevant healthcare professionals responsible for your care.

References:

[1] BHF UK CVD Factsheet

[2] https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronary-heart-disease/prevention/

[3] https://world-heart-federation.org/what-is-cvd/