Everything You Need To Know About Staying Heart-Healthy

The heart is truly amazing and is the organ of life responsible for pumping the blood everywhere around the body. The fist-sized organ beats 100,000 times a day (60 to 90 beats per minute), 40 million times a year and approximately 3 billion times in an average person’s lifespan.

According to a recent study by Dubai Health Authority, one in five deaths is the result of heart disease. Another alarming statistic is that only 19 per cent of Dubai’s population gets sufficient exercise, which means they are putting themselves at risk of heart disease.

The world will be celebratingthis vital organonWorld Heart Day, which takes place on September 29 this year. On this occasion, Dr. Georgie Thomas, Specialist - Cardiology, at Burjeel Hospital, Abu Dhabi, outlines a comprehensive overview of diseases related to the heart.

Common Cardiovascular Diseases
• Rheumatic heart disease: This occurs when heart valves have been damaged as a result of a paststreptococcal bacterial infectionin the body, namely the throat or skin.The damage manifests as shrunken valves or leaky valves.  This is probably preventable if the infections are treated in childhood and the medications are taken for the full length of the course prescribed.

• Hypertensive heart disease: High blood pressure or hypertension can cause the heart to overwork thereby causing disease in the form of thickened heart muscles structure or an aneurysm, or a bulge in a blood vessel. Aneurysms can burst as the bulge grows particularly in the brain. Aneurysms can occur in the aorta and its branches as well.
Thickening and stiffness of blood vesselsis triggered by hypertension causing arterial walls to become thick and rigid restricting blood flow. Over time blood flow is completely blocked when combined with high cholesterol levels and it results in heart attacks and strokes.

• Ischemic heart disease: Diseases caused here occur because arteries in the heart are blocked due to cholesterol deposition thereby reducing blood supply. When blood supply to the heart is reduced because of the narrowing of vessels, angina occurs.
This causes chest pains that radiate to the upper left side of the body, shortness of breath and sweating. This is the most common type of heart disease and one of the leading causes of death.

• Cerebrovascular disease: When blood flow to the brain is restricted because of fat and cholesterol deposition in the vessels of the brain, cerebrovascular diseases like strokes happen. Strokes can cause loss of speech and paralysis.

• Inflammatory heart disease:Inflammation can occur in the heart muscle (myocarditis), the sac surrounding the heart (pericarditis) or in the inner lining of the heart (endocarditis).Such inflammations are usually viral or bacterial infections. Some cases can be fatal.

Causes of Heart Disease
The main cause of heart disease is atherosclerosis - where the arteries are blocked gradually with fat and calcium deposits.Lifestyle habits like high intake of cholesterol, obesity and smoking aid the clogging of arteries resulting in heart disease. Prolonged periods of stress cause blood pressure to rise, thereby causing hypertension and eventually heart disease.

Risk Factors
• A family history of heart disease or ethnicity: According to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, more than 66 percent of men and 60 percent of women are obese or overweight in the UAE. The figures were high for the UAE and other Arabian Gulf countries. The UAE results include some data from expatriates - if not the percentages would be higher according to the study. The study attributes it to the notion in the region that being rotund is a sign of prosperity.

• Unhealthy habits: A World Health Organization (WHO) study found that six countries in the region - the UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, Oman and Saudi Arabia - are in the world’s top ten countries for the prevalence of diabetes. The risk of heart attack is three times more in this region and the risk of stroke is two to four times more for diabetes sufferers. The study also showed that close to 50 percent of diabetics died from heart diseases.

• Smoking: According to a Dubai Health Authority study in 2011, 17.2 percent of Dubai’s residents are smokers with nearly one third of the population of Dubai exposed to the dangers of smoking. Further a Ministry of Health study in 2013 revealed that 28 percent of residents under 18 smoke.

Preventive Measures
• Healthy Eating: We are inundated with healthy eating regimens, yet the importance of having a healthy, balanced diet cannot be underestimated. In an age where processed food is available at every corner and eating at home has become a luxury, make sure you make sensible food choices.

Avoid foods that are high in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium and processed sugars. Eatfruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, and seeds. Limit your consumption of meat and try and have a vegetarian meal at least once a day.

• Exercise: Start by brisk walking for an hour every day before gradually switching to intense physical activity like jogging. Consult a fitness instructor about muscle conditioning exercises.

• Beat the habit: If you’re a smoker, there is no better time than now to stub out the habit. If you are having trouble, seek professional help, use nicotine patches or try quitting gradually. If you don’t smoke, limit your exposure to second hand (passive) smoke as this is known to have serious health consequences.

• Manage stress: Chronic stress increases the pulse and ultimately blood pressure. This poses a serious threat to the artery walls. Daily deep breathing exercises can help as can joining a voluntary program. Make time every week for an activity that you enjoy.

Considering that the heart is a very essential organ, it should not be neglected. It is vital that after the age of 20 to get regular annual heart screenings to see how healthy the heart is. Many diseases and heart complications can be prevented if discovered at an early stage.

On the occasion of World Heart Day, Burjeel Hospital in Abu Dhabi is providing free health screening such as BMI, BCA, cholesterol check,and nutrition counselling. This will happen within the hospital premises, 2nd floor Activity Area on Tuesday, 29 September 2015, 9:00am to 2:00pm.