Concerned about your risk of a heart attack? Here are 5 ways to improve your heart health
<p>The news of Shane Warne’s untimely death of a suspected heart attack at the age of only 52 years has left many cricket fans reeling.</p>
<p>Heart disease is the leading cause of death in <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/causes-death/causes-death-australia/latest-release#australia-s-leading-causes-of-death-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australia</a> – and worldwide, including in the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/leading-causes-of-death.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">United States</a>, where two in ten people who die of heart disease are <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">aged under 65</a>.</p>
<p>Heart disease is highly preventable, so it’s never too early to consider what you can do to improve the health of your heart. Here are five evidence-based ways to do this.</p>
<p><strong>1. Get a heart health check</strong></p>
<p>When someone dies suddenly and unexpectedly of heart disease, people will often say “but they exercised regularly, didn’t smoke and ate well”.</p>
<p>But some of the main risk factors for heart disease – including high blood pressure and high LDL cholesterol – are things you need to have checked by a doctor.</p>
<p>If you’re aged 45 years or older and do not already have heart disease, <a href="https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/getmedia/4342a70f-4487-496e-bbb0-dae33a47fcb2/Absolute-CVD-Risk-Full-Guidelines_2.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australia’s current guidelines</a> recommend having a heart health check by your GP.</p>
<p>A heart health check combines information on your risk factors and estimates how likely you are to develop heart disease in the next five years.</p>
<figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/450274/original/file-20220307-83652-1w10scm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/450274/original/file-20220307-83652-1w10scm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/450274/original/file-20220307-83652-1w10scm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/450274/original/file-20220307-83652-1w10scm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/450274/original/file-20220307-83652-1w10scm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/450274/original/file-20220307-83652-1w10scm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/450274/original/file-20220307-83652-1w10scm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Doctor listens to man's chest with stethoscope." /><figcaption><span class="caption">Medications can reduce the risk of heart disease for some people.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/crop-close-female-doctor-hold-stethoscope-1930960433" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure>
<p>Your GP can use this information to identify whether you need to make lifestyle changes, and whether you would benefit from preventive medications to lower your blood pressure and cholesterol.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(14)61212-5/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Blood pressure</a>- and <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2812%2960367-5/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cholesterol-lowering</a> medications each lower the risk of developing heart disease by around 25%. So if they’re recommended for you, using them long-term is an effective way to reduce your risk.</p>
<p>However, a <a href="https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2016/204/8/absolute-risk-cardiovascular-disease-events-and-blood-pressure-and-lipid" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> using data from 2012 found around 76% of Australians aged 45 to 74 years at high risk of a first-time heart attack or stroke weren’t using these life-saving treatments.</p>
<p>Diabetes is another important <a href="https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/heart-health-education/diabetes-and-heart-disease#:%7E:text=Over%20time%2C%20high%20blood%20sugar,diabetes%20also%20have%20CVD1." target="_blank" rel="noopener">cause of heart disease</a>. Your GP will be able to guide you about whether or not you need a check for diabetes.</p>
<p>If you have diabetes, your GP will help to ensure it’s managed well, to reduce your risk of heart disease.</p>
<p><strong>2. Quit smoking</strong></p>
<p>Although Australia has some of the lowest smoking rates in the world, <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/b0cbb555-ebec-4bc1-8ca1-0d6b567e321f/aihw-phe-271-NDSHS-2019-in-brief.pdf.aspx?inline=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">around 11%</a> of Australians still smoke daily.</p>
<p>Smoking damages blood vessels and contributes to the underlying processes that lead to heart disease.</p>
<p>People who are current smokers are around <a href="https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-019-1351-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">two times</a> as likely to have a heart attack or stroke than people who have never smoked.</p>
<p>A <a href="https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-015-0281-z" target="_blank" rel="noopener">landmark Australian study</a> showed people who smoked died around ten years earlier than people who have never smoked, and up to two-thirds of ongoing smokers died from their habit.</p>
<p>But quitting smoking can reverse these effects. Quitting at any age was found to be beneficial – the earlier the better. In the long term, those who quit before the age of 45 had a <a href="https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-015-0281-z" target="_blank" rel="noopener">similar life expectancy</a> as people who had never smoked.</p>
<p><strong>3. Improve your nutrition</strong></p>
<p>In Australia, poor diet, excess weight and obesity are <a href="http://ihmeuw.org/5pee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">leading causes</a> of heart disease.</p>
<p>However, many popular diets are not supported by science.</p>
<p>A healthy diet is important for heart health. For most people, small <a href="https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/heart-health-education/healthy-eating" target="_blank" rel="noopener">changes to your diet</a>, such as increasing your intake of fruit, vegetables and wholegrains and reducing salt intake, can have large benefits.</p>
<p>For suggestions on healthier alternatives when you’re grocery shopping, try The George Institute’s <a href="https://www.georgeinstitute.org/projects/foodswitch" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FoodSwitch</a> app.</p>
<p><strong>4. Cut your salt</strong></p>
<p>On average, Australians consume almost twice the World Health Organization’s recommended <a href="https://www.who.int/data/gho/indicator-metadata-registry/imr-details/3082" target="_blank" rel="noopener">daily maximum of 5g salt</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23558162/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Randomised trials</a> of salt reduction show clear effects on reducing blood pressure, a leading contributor to heart disease.</p>
<p>To reduce your salt intake, you can try reducing the amount of processed foods you eat and cutting down on the amount of salt you add to your food.</p>
<p>Salt substitutes, although not widely available on supermarket shelves, can <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmoa2105675" target="_blank" rel="noopener">also play a role</a>. Salt is made up of sodium chloride; salt substitutes involve replacing a portion of the sodium chloride with potassium chloride which acts to lower blood pressure.</p>
<figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/450273/original/file-20220307-85901-1s3djjz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/450273/original/file-20220307-85901-1s3djjz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/450273/original/file-20220307-85901-1s3djjz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/450273/original/file-20220307-85901-1s3djjz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/450273/original/file-20220307-85901-1s3djjz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/450273/original/file-20220307-85901-1s3djjz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/450273/original/file-20220307-85901-1s3djjz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Older woman sitting in a chair puts a hand to her chest." /><figcaption><span class="caption">Reducing your salt intake will also reduce your risk of heart disease.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/good-looking-aged-woman-having-heart-1131954146" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure>
<p><strong>5. Get moving</strong></p>
<p>Physical activity, in addition to being good for the waistline, helps improve cardiac functioning. Studies have linked regular exercise with a lower risk of having a <a href="https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.117.007725" target="_blank" rel="noopener">heart attack</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.health.gov.au/health-topics/physical-activity-and-exercise/physical-activity-and-exercise-guidelines-for-all-australians" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australian guidelines</a> recommend adults get at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise most days, but even smaller amounts are beneficial.</p>
<p>Any kind of movement is good, so if you are just starting out, choose an activity you like and get moving. <img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/178631/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ellie-paige-331213" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ellie Paige</a>, Senior Research Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/george-institute-for-global-health-874" target="_blank" rel="noopener">George Institute for Global Health</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/bruce-neal-69" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bruce Neal</a>, Executive Director, George Institute Australia, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/george-institute-for-global-health-874" target="_blank" rel="noopener">George Institute for Global Health</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/emily-banks-8031" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Emily Banks</a>, Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-national-university-877" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australian National University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jason-wu-1325830" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jason Wu</a>, , <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/george-institute-for-global-health-874" target="_blank" rel="noopener">George Institute for Global Health</a></em></p>
<p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/concerned-about-your-risk-of-a-heart-attack-here-are-5-ways-to-improve-your-heart-health-178631" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>.</em></p>
<p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>