How to Protect Your Heart at Any Age

First it was Rod March (aged 74 years), then Shane Warne (aged 52), and now Kimberley Kitching (also aged 52) – and all have died because they had a heart attack.

The Heart Foundation says that keeping your heart healthy is something you can work on every day.

What you eat, how much you move, whether you smoke and controlling your cholesterol and blood pressure are five things that can have a big impact on your heart. Let’s take a closer look at each:

1. Healthy eating for a healthy heart is a pattern. It doesn’t focus on one type of food or nutrient, but rather on what you eat over days, weeks and months. This style of eating is rich in wholegrains, fibre, and antioxidants, and naturally low in saturated and trans fats, salt and added sugar.

2. Doing regular physical activity reduces your risk of having a heart attack or developing heart disease. Regular physical activity can also help strengthen your bones and muscles. It can help you feel more energetic, happier and relaxed.

3. Smoking damages the blood vessels leading to your heart, brain and other parts of your body. This makes you four times more likely to die of heart attack or stroke and three times more likely to die from sudden cardiac death. Quitting smoking isn’t always easy, and can take persistence. You can do it with planning, practice, and help, and visiting your GP to discuss the issue is a great first step.

4. Cholesterol is a fatty substance that moves around your body in the blood. Your body produces cholesterol naturally, and it is also found in some foods. Cholesterol is essential for the normal functioning of your body. There are two main types of cholesterol: High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) or ‘good cholesterol’ and Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) or ‘bad cholesterol’. Get to know your dietary fats, eat a heart healthy diet, and if your doctor prescribes medication, be sure to take it.

5. Blood pressure is the pressure of your blood on the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps it around your body. Blood pressure that’s high over a long time is one of the main risk factors for heart disease. As you get older, the chances of having ongoing high blood pressure increases, so to achieve a healthy blood pressure, get active, minimise your salt intake (Eating a diet high in salt can lead to higher blood pressure), and know your numbers.

The Heart Foundation recommends that you see your doctor for a Heart Health Check if you are 45 years or older (30 years or older for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples). During a Heart Health Check, your doctor will assess your risk factors for heart disease, including the factors mentioned above and your family history. Your doctor will then inform you whether you’re at low, moderate or high risk of a heart attack or stroke in the next five years. The most important part of this check-up is working with your doctor to manage your risk factors to improve your heart health.

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• Health & Wellbeing