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February 6, 2024
Heart-healthy living involves understanding your risk, making healthy choices, and taking steps to reduce your chances of getting heart disease, including coronary heart disease.
Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) or heart and circulatory disease, is a range of diseases which involve the heart or blood vessels. It includes several diseases such as:
The World Health Organisation believes that many cases of cardiovascular disease can be prevented through a healthier lifestyle such as stopping smoking, being more active and eating a healthier diet.
Age, gender, family history and ethnicity are risk factors we cannot change. However, there are some risk factors that we can influence such as:
Blood pressure is the pressure of blood in your arteries – the vessels that carry your blood from your heart to your brain and the rest of your body. You need a certain amount of pressure to get the blood moving around your body. Your blood pressure naturally goes up and down throughout the day and night, and it’s normal for it to go up while you’re moving about.
Blood pressure is measured in millimetres of mercury (mmHg) and is given as two figures:
As a general guide:
High blood pressure or hypertension, means that the heart has to work harder to pump blood around your body. Hypertension can lead to heart and circulatory diseases like heart attack or stroke. It can also cause kidney failure, heart failure, problems with your sight and vascular dementia.
A single high reading doesn’t necessarily mean you have high blood pressure, as many things can affect your blood pressure throughout the day, such as the temperature, when you last ate, and if you’re feeling stressed. Your doctor or nurse will probably want to measure your blood pressure several times over a few weeks to make sure the reading wasn’t just a one-off and that your blood pressure stays high over time.
High blood pressure rarely has noticeable symptoms. However, the following can be symptoms of high blood pressure:
More than one in four adults in the UK have high blood pressure but many will not know they have it. Many people with high blood pressure feel fine. Even if you feel fine, you should still have your blood pressure checked regularly.
Know Your Numbers! is Blood Pressure UK's flagship awareness campaign. They encourage adults across the UK to have their blood pressure checked and take the necessary action to reach and maintain a healthy blood pressure.
Since its launch in 2001, Know Your Numbers Week has ensured more than 1.5 million people have had their blood pressure checked so that they know their blood pressure numbers in the same way as their height and weight.
Home monitoring is an effective and inexpensive way to keep blood pressure under control. It gives people a way to take control of their health, feel confident and take the pressure off the NHS, as it can reduce the need to visit your GP, practice nurse or pharmacist in person.
Cholesterol is a waxy substance known as a lipid and is found in every cell in your body. It plays a vital role in how your body works, and it's especially important in your brain, nerves and skin. The body needs this to work properly but too much cholesterol can be dangerous. High cholesterol can cause narrowing of the arteries, heart attack and stroke.
Cholesterol has three main jobs:
There are different types of cholesterol which have different effects on the body, these are generally classified as good and bad cholesterols. High-density cholesterol is sometimes called ‘good cholesterol’ because it helps prevent disease. Low-density cholesterol, on the other hand, contains lots of cholesterol and is often called ‘bad cholesterol’. Low-denial cholesterol can clog up your arteries and lead to health problems such as heart disease, heart attack and stroke.
At TAC Healthcare we offer cardiology screening services to private patients as well as our occupational health clients – learn more about this service here
NHS - www.nhs.uk/conditions/blood-pressure-test
Blood Pressure UK - www.bloodpressureuk.org
The British Heart Foundation - www.bhf.org.uk
NICE - www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng136
Heart UK - www.heartuk.org.uk
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