Help your Heart this Valentines

Posted on February 1st, 2023

To mark Heart Month, this February we are asking patients to take some simple steps to improve their heart health.

Currently, there are around 7.6 million people in the UK living with heart and circulatory diseases and 1 in 2 of us will experience a heart or circulatory condition during our lifetime.

However, making small changes to your daily routine can make a big difference to your heart health, which in the long term could help reduce your risk of heart and circulatory related conditions such as diabetes, stroke, vascular dementia or heart disease.

Here are some of the ways which you can improve your heart health and support us during Heart Month:

Stop Smoking 

Smoking is a major cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and causes one of every four deaths from CVD. For support in quitting smoking please contact ONE YOU, WALSALL 01922 444044, Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm

Keep track of your numbers

If you’re concerned about your blood pressure, speak to your Nurse or Pharmacist. Having high blood pressure means you’re at an increased risk of having a heart attack or a stroke, so it’s really important that you know your numbers. 

Around 28 per cent of adults in the UK have high blood pressure, which can be caused by unhealthy habits. Being overweight, drinking too much alcohol and not doing enough exercise are all examples of factors which can increase your risk of getting high blood pressure.

Get moving

Whatever your age or ability, exercising can help to improve your general wellbeing. In fact, regular physical activity can help to reduce the risk of developing heart and circulatory disease by up to 35 per cent. Just taking 20 to 30 minutes from your day to exercise, whether that is going for a run or a walk, can help make such a difference to your heart.  

Eat healthy

A healthy and balanced diet can help to reduce your risk of heart and circulatory diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure and can help you to maintain a healthy weight. It can also help to lower your cholesterol levels.

Even if you already have a heart condition, eating healthily can still be of benefit to your heart health. Try to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, nuts, seeds, pulses and wholegrain varieties of bread, rice and pasta. You should also look to choose options that are lower in saturated fat, salt and sugar where you can.

Become a lifesaver

The survival rate for out of hospital cardiac arrests in the UK is less than one in 10, and every minute without CPR or defibrillation can reduce the chances of survival by up to 10 per cent. You can learn how to save a life by performing CPR in just 15 minutes.

If you’re experienced in CPR why not help to train others including friends, family and work colleagues. Training more people in life saving skills such as CPR, defibrillator awareness and the recovery position will help to create a nation of life savers, meaning that in an emergency, you’ll know what to do.

If you have a defibrillator, register it with it on The Circuit, the national defibrillator network developed by the BHF which maps defibrillators so that ambulance services across the UK can direct bystanders to the nearest device at the crucial moment. Register your defibrillator on The Circuit today – it could end up saving a life.

Be kind to yourself 

Stress alone won’t cause heart and circulatory diseases, but it can lead to unhealthy habits that may increase your risk. Making sure you get plenty of rest, eat a healthy balanced diet, exercise regularly and keep in touch with friends and family for support can really help improve your wellbeing.

It’s important to understand that it’s normal and okay to feel stressed at times and there is support out there if you need it. If you need additional information on understanding stress and how it affects the heart click here.