Cardiovascular health as been at the heart of people’s minds over the past four weeks.
February is Heart Month in Canada, featuring a range of events from Jump Rope for Heart to Heart and Stroke Foundation canvassers going door-to-door for their annual fundraising campaign.
Awareness of cardiovascular health is an important issue, according to cardiologist Todd Anderson, who is also the director of the Libin Cardiovascular Institute.
“Atherosclerosis (hardening and narrowing of arteries, and a main cause of heart attacks and strokes) still kills 30 per cent of Canadians every year,” said Anderson.
According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, 600,000 Canadians live with chronic heart disease, with 50,000 new cases each year. Heart failure is the leading cause of hospitalization and costs more than $2.8 billion to treat annually.
There are a number of major risk factors associated with heart disease, Anderson said, including family history, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, cigarette smoking, inactivity and a diet devoid of fruits and vegetables.
The most important thing for people monitor their heart health to do is knowing and understanding their “numbers,” he said.
“If you go to your family doctor, you should have a good sense of your blood pressure and your cholesterol rates, both good and bad,” said Anderson. “You should know your waist circumference and sugar levels, to help identify any changes.”
More importantly, he said, is to practice prevention, since family history is the only cause of heart attacks and strokes that patients cannot control.
Maintaining a healthy and balanced lifestyle is key to prevention, he said, with exercise playing just as important a role as eating well.
“On average everyone should try to exercise for 150 hours each week, whether that’s walking or aerobic exercise of any kind,” said Anderson. “It can be broken up, but should be done in intervals of at least 10 minutes.”
Eliminating – or at least limiting – fast food and fried foods is also vital, he said.
A heart-healthy diet should include a lot of fruits and vegetables and omega 3 fatty acids, he said.
“Eat fish two or three times per week, and red meat in moderation,” said Anderson. “All these things will help as best they can if people follow the lifestyle.”
