Heart disease can be postponed: some of the teacher’s advice will help prevent a tragedy

Risk factors are divided into two groups: we can change one

It seems that in Lithuania there is a lot of talk about cardiovascular diseases, but the situation is still not improving. According to prof. Dr. S. Glaveckaitė, the coronavirus pandemic exacerbated this problem. According to statistics from the Institute of Hygiene, in 2020, 23 thousand people died from cardiovascular diseases in Lithuania. And that’s almost 10 percent. more than in 2019.

“Scientific estimates show that the COVID-19 pandemic affected about 5% of the population. Excess deaths in the world. […] This means that patients were afraid to apply during quarantine, trying to treat their illness on their own, as they know it. Second, the health care system had to be restructured to deal with the pandemic, resulting in the suspension of scheduled services at one point. This could have affected the excess of deaths ”, said the interlocutor of the program.

There are many risk factors for these diseases. They are divided into two groups: those that we cannot change and those that we can adjust. Age, gender, genetics, sadly, but we won’t change. But there are certainly factors where we can make a big difference.

Changing risk factors include high blood pressure, excess blood cholesterol, smoking, hypodynamics: very low physical activity, obesity, diabetes, unbalanced diet.

A study published in The Lancet magazine shows that only half of people with high blood pressure know they have it. The other side walks without knowing anything about this invisible disease.

Symptoms of high blood pressure are very rare. However, the diagnosis of the disease is very simple, all you need to do is measure your blood pressure regularly.

“A child can also have high blood pressure, so family doctors also measure their blood pressure. We have been talking about heart disease prevention for 40 years. How often it is measured depends on your blood pressure. If your blood pressure it is optimal, that is, less than the upper limit of 120 and less than the lower limit of 70, it can be measured every 5 years, but if the blood pressure is close to 140 and 90, it should be measured at least once a year. We would even recommend doing it more often at home, ”said the teacher.

According to her, doctors can give the patient a device that measures blood pressure throughout the day.

A healthier diet and exercise can save you from tragedy

To draw attention to these health problems, on the occasion of World Heart Day, the map of Lithuania was decorated with five heart-shaped routes. According to Deividas Urbonavičius, director of Trenkturas, all walking routes are approximately 4-5 kilometers long and can be reached by public transport.

In Vilnius, such a route is traced in the Vingis Park, in Kaunas in Panemunė Šile, as well as near Klaipėda, near Melnrage, in Šiauliai in the Salduvė Park, and in Panevėžys, the beginning of the route is in the Cultural Park and Recreational. All routes can be found at solo.trenkturas.lt.

According to the professor, this route, its length and the fact that one tries to walk as much as possible in nature were not chosen by chance. The general recommendation for all people is that we should be physically active for 30-60 minutes a day, preferably at least 5 days a week.

It should be at least moderate physical activity and outdoors. The 4-5 km offered on the routes, according to the doctor, meet these recommendations.

“Average intensity is when we warm up, but we can still speak in complete sentences. If a person is young, it is possible to move faster, “said Prof. Dr. S. Glaveckaitė.

Imagine a person who often spends time on the couch in front of the TV but who changes his lifestyle, changes his diet and begins to move daily according to the recommendations. How much could the risk of cardiovascular disease be reduced?

“The numbers vary depending on whether the patient is healthy or sick. But I want to say that even sick people are not afraid to follow these routes, they can do it at their own pace so that physical activity is comfortable for them. You can go with Nordic sticks. Adapt the load according to your possibilities ”, encouraged the teacher to move.