Stress, an unhealthy diet, lack of exercise – our heart and our body have to put up with a lot in everyday life. Cardiovascular diseases still rank as the primary cause of death in medical statistics. Every year more than 17 million people worldwide die from a heart attacks or stroke. Yet it is startling that around 80% of the fatalities could have been prevented by a healthier lifestyle, according to the World Heart Federation. The cardiologists of Lanserhof therefore advise the following easy-to-implement lifestyle changes:
Exercise in fresh air
Exercising is often neglected and underestimated in everyday life. We are not talking about high-performance sport. Short walks in the lunch break, taking the bicycle to work or the stairs instead of the elevator, etc. All these small physical activities have a positive effect on the heart. A mere 10,000 steps per day are enough to achieve almost 70% of the preventive effect of all the measures listed here.
Find a sport that is fun. 150 minutes of workout per week are optimal and strengthen the heart. It does not matter whether the total training time is achieved on the weekend by a single bicycle tour or hike or by several shorter training sessions during the week.
A fresh, balanced and healthy diet
Our food experts at Lanserhof particularly recommend the Mediterranean cuisine. The emphasis is on vegetables, salads, fruit, fish, little red meat and the use of olive oil. This is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are highly anti-inflammatory and can prevent the progress of calcification of the coronary arteries. Processed foods should be avoided. These contain short-chain carbohydrates, which have an unfavorable effect on the metabolism and promote the development of fatty liver and diabetes.
Become a non-smoker
Not only is smoking addictive, it significantly increases the risk heart and respiratory diseases and cancer.
Stress is one of the main triggers for a heart attack, so try to relax in your everyday life. Allow yourself moments of rest and turn off mobile phone and all other electronic devices. Targeted breathing exercises help you to calm down. A good night’s rest is equally important. Studies show that adults over the age of 45 who sleep less than six hours per night are about twice as likely to suffer a stroke or heart attack as test subjects who sleep six to eight hours per night.
Take regular health checks, in order to detect diseases at an early stage and to treat them in a targeted way. Healthy blood pressure and the cholesterol values are crucial for the heart. The cardiologists of Lanserhof offer extensive check-up programmes and are happy to advise you.
Dr. Jan Stritzke, Lanserhof
Deputy. Medical Director, Specialist in Internal Medicine and Cardiology
Dr. Florentine Markworth, Lans Medicum
Medical Director Sports Cardiology, Specialist in Internal Medicine and Cardiology, Sports Medicine