RISK FACTORS FOR HEART DISEASE: NUTRITION AS A MANAGEABLE RISK FACTOR

On the initiative of the World Heart Federation and with the support of WHO, World Heart Day is celebrated worldwide on September 29 every year.

The purpose of this event is to raise public awareness of the danger posed by the epidemic of circulatory diseases to raise awareness of heart and vascular diseases, causes of their development and ways to prevent them.

Worldwide, HSCs are the main cause of death, which, according to WHO experts, claim about 18 million lives annually. Today, every tenth Kazakhstani of working age is affected by any of the circulatory diseases, and every second death occurs due to these diseases.

Circulatory disease is a group of diseases of the heart and blood vessels, which includes coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, rheumatic heart disease and other pathologies related to the heart and blood vessels. More than four out of five deaths occur as a result of complications of circulatory diseases such as heart attack and stroke, one third of which are premature, i.e. occur before the age of 70.

Risk factors of circulatory disease development can be divided into two groups:

Uncontrollable (biological) factors: heredity (disease of blood relatives increases the risk by 25%), male (at the age of 40-70 years, only 8% of men have arteries not damaged by atherosclerosis, 52% of women), elderly age (65 years and older).

Manageable lifestyle factors: eating disorders, obesity, high blood sugar and cholesterol, smoking, hypodynamia, alcohol abuse, and exposure to stress.

The effects of behavioral risk factors can manifest as high blood pressure, elevated blood glucose and lipid levels, overweight or obesity. These “intermediate risk factors” can be identified during annual comprehensive preventive health exams and may indicate an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, heart failure and other complications.

Recommended diets for heart and vascular health.

• The more varied your diet, the more nutrients your body gets. Diversify your diet with healthy foods: fruits and vegetables, fermented milk, legumes, whole grains and seafoods.
• Limit your intake of table salt (no more than 5 g/d) and sugar (no more than 3-4 tsp/d).
• Include fish in your diet 1-3 times a week.
• Eat a handful of nuts a day, they are an excellent source of healthy fats and protein.
• Choose lean meats, remove visible fat when cooking, and remove the skin from chicken. The norm of red meat is 80-100 grams per day, 2-3 times a week.
• Use olive oil more often (1-2 tbsp. spoons a day), it cleanses blood vessels from “bad” cholesterol. Dress salads with it along with yogurt or low-fat sour cream, do not use mayonnaise.
• Eat at least 500 g/day of fresh fruits and vegetables (preferably local) as sources of vitamins, fiber, potassium and magnesium, very important and necessary for the heart and blood vessels.  
• Consume bitter chocolate (at least 70% cocoa) in quantities of no more than 30 g per day, which strengthens arteries and muscles of the heart, reduces BP and blood cholesterol levels.
• Replace white bread with bread made from coarse flour.
• Drink green tea, dried fruit compotes, fruit-drink. Do not abuse strong brewed tea and coffee, they excite the cardiovascular and nervous system, and prevent the absorption of useful nutrients in the blood.
• Eliminate harmful foods from your diet: sweet carbonated drinks, sausages, sausages, smoked meat, confectionery, ice cream, fast - food, etc., etc.
• Give preference to cooking methods such as boiling, stewing, steaming, and baking, avoid fried food.

Remember! Cessation of tobacco use, reduction of salt intake, consumption of fruits and vegetables, avoidance of harmful use of alcohol and regular physical activity have been proven to reduce the risk of developing of circulatory diseases!