HEART PREVENTION: WHAT IT MEANS AND WHEN TO START

Preventing heart disease means implementing all the necessary measures to reduce as much as possible the cardiovascular diseases incidence, especially the atherosclerotic ones.

The prevention is essential: these diseases, in particular the heart attack and stroke, indeed, often arise suddenly. Furthermore, they are not only high mortality pathologies, but also cause of high disability. Then, intervening in time means to lengthen the life of patient as well as to bring a marked improvement to its quality.

The cardiology specialist will assess the patient’s overall cardiovascular risk and will decide a customized therapeutic plan.

But what are the risk factors that predispose the patient to these diseases?

These factors are divided between modifiable conditions, on which it is possible to intervene, as smoke, arterial hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, sedentariness, and not modifiable factors, as race, age, gender and possible genetic predisposition.

In some patients several risk factors may be present at the same time, greatly increasing the possibility of one of these diseases.

If on the one hand it is essential to undergo regular controls at a specialist, who will also prescribe the necessary examinations, it is even changing the lifestyle.

For a good cardiovascular health, indeed, it is essential to often do sports, even of slight intensity, and follow a proper diet, low in animal saturated fats and simple carbohydrates, rich instead of fish, fiber and complex carbohydrates. Smoking should be abolutely avoided and alcohol consumption should be limited.

The European guidelines on cardiovascular prevention, finally, advise men to undergo the first examinations around 40 years old, to women about 10 years later, thanks to the so-called “hormone umbrella” that protects until the menopause.