Cardiovascular disease
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is also called as heart disease, cardiac disease, coronary artery disease or coronary heart disease.
As per World Health Organisation (WHO) statistics on cardiovascular disease, it is the number 1 killer among all non-communicable diseases. These are lifestyle diseases such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, respiratory diseases, and cancers. This means that more people die from CVD than from any other cause. This pictorial report summary covers WHO statistics and gives a brief yet complete overview on heart diseases.
World heart day is celebrated on 29th September every year. The objective is to make you, your family and friends more aware about cardiovascular disease. It is a constant reminder to us to take action and reduce our risk for heart disease and stroke. This can improve the quality of our life. Even small changes can make a big difference to our heart health. Cardiac disease is preventable with early and timely intervention.
Risk factors for heart disease
Modifiable risk factors for heart disease
- Faulty Diet: What you eat reflects in your blood. Avoid unhealthy foods. Choose heart-healthy foods as part of a balanced diet preferably under guidance from a qualified nutrition expert
- Physical Inactivity: Get moving! Regular exercise or at least physical activity for 30-45 minutes daily
- Alcohol: Reduce alcohol intake if you drink already or abstain from alcohol if you do not drink.
- Smoke: Quit smoking, and stay away from second-hand smoke.
- Tobacco: Stay away from tobacco use
Non-modifiable risk factors for heart disease
- Genetics
- Gender
- Age
Heart disease Treatment
Heart disease Diagnosis
Consult your doctor for the right treatment for cardiovascular disease. You may require to do diagnostic tests to identify the various types of heart disease you may have. Your doctor may examine you and check your blood pressure readings, lipid profile (for parameters like cholesterol, triglycerides) and blood glucose testing. Based on your heart disease symptoms, your doctor could advise you to do a chest X-ray, or Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG), Exercise stress test (treadmill test), Echocardiogram, or coronary angiography or thallium stress test.
Cardiac treatments may involve procedures such as balloon angioplasty or CABG (coronary artery bypass graft, also called bypass surgery). Your cardiologist may surgically insert a pacemaker or advise any other procedure.
Prevention is better than cure
Small positive changes can make a big difference in improving heart health. You can easily take steps to modify the risk factors for heart disease as mentioned above.
Eat a heart healthy diet and practice mindfulness. Make positive changes in your lifestyle and destress. This will not only increase longevity, but also help you enjoy a better quality of life and save you expensive medical costs. The idea is to know that every heartbeat matters. We care for your heart and health.
Pallavi Pinge is a Clinical Nutritionist and Dietitian | Content Director & Editor for health websites | has a passion for digital health and enjoys promoting health and wellness. She’s the founder and director of Ambrosia Wellness, where she provides personalized nutrition counseling, education, and coaching to individuals with various health conditions. You can follow her on her social media channels below to stay tuned in with the latest in health and wellness | Health Blog | Contact her for appointments |
