Heart Problems

Coronary heart disease is one of the commonest diseases to affect the heart. It is mostly caused by a build up of fatty materials within the walls of the arteries.

There are many contributing factors, some of which you can deal with, some you cannot. Some of the contributing factors include:

• High blood pressure Especially for older people
• Genetic A family history of heart problems suggest that a person is possible predisposed to heart problems themselves
• Diabetes A person is three times more likely to have heart problems if they have diabetes
• Ethnic background Some ethnic groups seem to be more likely to develop heart disease
• High cholesterol levels make a person more susceptible to heart disease
• An overweight person is more susceptible to heart disease
• Smoking increases the risk of heart diseae sifgnificantly

Preventing heart disease

As there are factors that increase the risk of heart problems, there are ways to reduce the risk of heart problems

• Exercise
• Stop smoking
• Reduce alcohol levels
• Diet Your diet is an important factor. Eat more fresh fruit and vegetables.
• Increase your intake of fibre and cereals
• Reduce your intake of salt, saturated fats. Processed foods can contain high levels of what you want to cut out of your diet. Always read the labels!