What you can’t change
Gender: Men are more likely to develop heart disease at a younger age (about 10 yrs younger) than women.
Getting Older: Botox or a bit of ‘nip and tuck’ does not stop our body ageing – it just improves the wrapping. From the age of 45 for men and about 55 for women there is an increased risk of heart disease.
Family history of coronary heart disease: This is particularly significant if you have an immediate relative (parents and/or siblings) who have had heart disease or a heart attack before the age of 55.
What you can change
Smoking:
Doing this will almost guarantee a high risk of stroke, heart attack or clogged arteries. To reduce the risk, the message is simple, but the action is hard… You need to stop smoking. Get help from Quitline 13QUIT or talk to your doctor about new treatments to help you quit.
High blood cholesterol:
You will have no idea if your cholesterol is high unless you have a blood test.
There are two types of cholesterol:
- Low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. This is usually called ‘Bad’ cholesterol as it goes into the bloodstream and clogs up your arteries.
- High density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. This is ‘Good’ cholesterol because it helps to take ‘bad’ cholesterol out of the bloodstream.
When you have your blood lipids measured you will be given a reading for Total Cholesterol, LDL, HDL and also Triglycerides (another type of blood fat).
Recommended lipid levels are based on a person’s other risk factors and so the doctor takes this into consideration when discussing results.
If people are considered to have a high risk of cardiovascular disease doctors generally use the following guidelines:
LDL : <2.5 mmol/L
Total Cholesterol: <4.0 mmol/L
HDL: > 1.0 mmol/L
Triglycerides: <2.0 mmol/L
To reduce the risk: Low saturated fat diet, regular exercise. Take medication if prescribed
High blood pressure:
Your heart has to work harder when you have high blood pressure (hypertension) and it impacts on the muscle of the heart as well as the blood vessels. If your blood pressure is consistently over 140/90 it is considered to be high. If treatment or recommendations to lower your blood pressure aren’t followed you have a significant chance of having a stroke or heart attack in the future.
To reduce the risk: Low salt diet, regular exercise. Take medication if prescribed.
Diabetes:
If you have diabetes you automatically are considered to have a high risk of cardiovascular disease because diabetes increases the rate at which heart disease develops and progresses.
To reduce the risk: A diet low in fat, high in fibre. Have regular checks with your Doctor. Take any medication as prescribed.
Being overweight:
BMI is the how we relate weight to height and is the statistic used to assess if someone is overweight. The way to work it out is your weight (kg) divided by your height (m) squared. So a man who weighs 85kg and is 1.75m tall will have a BMI of 27.7. (1.75m x 1.75m = 3.06, 85kg / 3.06=27.7)
A BMI of 20-25 is considered normal range, 25-30 is defined as overweight and 30+ is considered obese.
A healthy male waistline is less than 94cms. The waistline is measured by running a tape measure around the waist at the narrowest point between ribs and hips (usually just above the belly button) after breathing out. If your waistline is greater than 94cms then the risk of developing heart disease and diabetes starts to increase.
To reduce the risk: Surprise surprise… it’s diet and exercise! Consider seeing a dietician for expert individual advice and building up some physical activity is a great start.
Stress, depression, social isolation and a lack of social support:
When someone is experiencing stressful situations the body releases adrenaline. This in turn increases heart rate and narrows blood vessels; blood pressure goes up, the heart works harder and there is a greater risk of a heart attack. There is also evidence to show that extended periods of depression or being socially isolated can actually contribute to heart disease.
To reduce the risk: Get help if you need it. Pace yourself and don’t sweat the small stuff. Catch up with family and friends regularly.
Risky Business
For those of you who think it all sounds a bit boring then here are a few tips:
- Smoke.
- Have lots of fried foods and no fruit or veggies.
- Wash down the stodgy food with soft drink or alcohol.
- Relax on the couch with a ‘do not disturb’ sign on the door
- ‘The doctor’s an idiot, so why listen to him?’
- Always get the ‘best’ park and take the lift
- Keep buying tracksuit pants so you can fit in the beer gut
- Don’t bother taking the medications prescribed
I am no fortune teller but get ready… I think I see a quadruple heart bypass surgery coming your way!
Cheryle Davies
Clergy Healthcare Coordinator,
St Vincent’s Hospital/Archdiocese of Brisbane
