Monday 13th May is celebrated Italian Day for Cardiovascular Prevention, commissioned by the scientific society of the same name (Siprec). The numbers are enough to show how important prevention is.
Cardiovascular diseases still represent the main cause of death in our country. According to ISTAT, in 2021, 30.8 percent of all deaths (27.7 percent in males and 33.7 percent in females) were attributable to these pathologies. In particular, ischemic heart disease was responsible for 8.4 percent of all deaths (9.3 percent in males and 7.5 percent in females) and cerebrovascular diseases for 7.6 percent (6, 3 percent in males and 8.8 percent in females).
How to control risk factors
Experts remind that the risk factors There are many that threaten the health of the heart and arteries but there is no shortage of tools to neutralize them. And most important of all, is the knowledge of how bad habits and risk factors impact and damage the heart and arteries. Remembering that cardiovascular health is built day after day, starting from a very young age.
“If people don’t know that most cardiovascular diseases could be prevented, why should they do prevention? This is why – recalls Massimo Volpe, president of the Italian Society for Cardiovascular Prevention – knowledge is a formidable weapon of prevention”.
The main risk factors for heart and artery health are high cholesterol, hypertension, cigarette smoking, diabetes, overweight/obesity, sedentary lifestyle. “But alongside these, new ones are also emerging, such as pollution, disturbed or insufficient sleep, stress and also food trends and bad advice from social media – continues the expert, who points out how to defend oneself from cardiovascular diseases by adopting a healthy lifestyle, which in many cases can be sufficient on its own to correct risk factors and avoid or postpone the use of pharmacological therapies. Here, in summary, the “easy” rules of prevention.
At the table, the Mediterranean diet
The Mediterranean diet, with the healthy rules of our grandparents, is good for us and for the environment. “You will discover – says Volpe – that what is good for the environment also benefits the health of the heart and arteries. In fact, the Mediterranean diet, in addition to being by far the best for our health, is also one of the most eco-sustainable.”
And therefore, green light for fruit, vegetables and legumes, seeds and nuts, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, eggs, fish (especially fatty fish, such as blue fish or salmon), white meat. Yellow traffic light, definitely tending towards red instead desserts, red and processed meats, which are also among the most hostile to the health of the planet, should therefore be consumed occasionally and in moderation (red meat maximum 350-500 grams per week). Salt (less than 5 grams per day) and sugar should also be consumed in moderation.
At night, pay attention to rest
Protect your sleep. It is not only air pollution that damages the heart and arteries, but also sound and light pollution. “An excess of noise or brightness, not only that which comes from the outside, but also from the screen of tablets and mobile phones, can damage the architecture and duration of sleep. And a less than restorative sleep takes its toll on the cardiovascular system in the long run – the expert says. Sleeping poorly contributes to weight gain, which in turn can lead to increased blood pressure and increase the risk of diabetes and high cholesterol.”
And therefore, even earplugs and eye masks, by promoting a good night’s rest, help protect heart health. Another important enemy of the heart that hides in the folds of the night is OSA (sleep apnea syndrome); almost one in ten people suffer from it and it increases the risk of all cardiovascular diseases. If your partner snores or stops breathing for several seconds while sleeping, it’s best to get checked out.
Remember the treatments
Sometimes, correcting risk factors are necessary drugs, against hypertension, cholesterol, diabetes for example. And this can create a problem of adherence to therapies which are actually fundamental.
“Especially when there are many pills to take – advises Volpe – combinations of multiple active ingredients in the same tablet can come in handy. Pill boxes, with dividers for day and time or alarm clocks on your cell phone, help you remember when to take your tablets at different times of the day.”
Be careful what you drink
If those of sparkling wine or champagne, used above all to celebrate a birthday or a beautiful event, are welcome (but even in this case, since it is alcohol, moderation is a must and 100 grams of alcohol should not be exceeded per week), they would definitely go instead avoid those of soft drinks and sugary drinks. A glass every now and then is acceptable but should not become a habit. They are “liquid” calories, insidious, useless from a nutritional point of view and harmful to the metabolism.
Forget smoking
Tobacco smoking it is a danger to the health of the entire organism (it is responsible for half of the avoidable deaths in smokers) and should therefore be avoided. Also pay attention to those who smoke near you, because even passive smoking puts the heart and arteries at risk. And for those who cannot free themselves from the ‘blondes’ on their own, “today – recalls Volpe – there are many methods available, both pharmacological (nicotine patches or gum, bupropion, varenicline) and non-pharmacological (psychotherapies), proposed by the doctors of the -smoke.
Another help in quitting smoking can come from temporarily switching to e-cigs or heated tobacco. But it only has to be for a short time because even these methods are not without risks, especially for the lungs.”
