Thousands of Lithuanians suffer from heart disease: if you want to prevent it, you should follow the advice of cardiologists immediately.

Although Lithuania has been implementing a cardiovascular disease prevention program since 2006, cardiologists continue to sound the alarm, as mortality from this disease in the country remains one of the highest in Europe, according to the press release.

“The Lithuanian Society of Cardiologists raises questions about why Lithuania, as a country of the European Union and with all available medicines, is still in last place in terms of its cardiovascular disease prevention program, why we do not protect our young people , why retirement is common suffers from cardiovascular diseases “, – the president of the Lithuanian Society of Cardiologists prof. Dr. Jelena Čelutkienė.

The opportunities for prevention in the country are considerable, but the neurologist prof. Dalius Jatužis regrets that only 47 percent. men and 53 percent. women participate in a state-funded cardiovascular disease prevention program that can protect against cardiovascular and brain disease.

“When we talk about the risk of vascular disease, we are talking about myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, and even vascular disease of the extremities.” Many people in the country suffer from these diseases due to insufficient attention to risk factors. Increased cholesterol promotes the deterioration of the function of the vascular wall, promotes the development of atherosclerosis, promotes thrombosis, which causes these life-threatening diseases, “says a neurologist at the Center for Neurology at VUL Santara Clinics, President of the Lithuanian Association of Neurologists and Stroke Med. Dr. Prof. Dalius Jatužis.

Cardiovascular disease is also affected by heredity, but a much higher risk factor is an irregular lifestyle: smoking, low physical activity, malnutrition, overweight, obesity, alcohol abuse. High blood pressure, caused by constant stress or anxiety, also increases the load on the heart, causes the walls of the heart to thicken, and can increase the chances of cardiovascular disease.

“If we talk about cholesterol, it is a very important component of the body, responsible for cell proliferation, the elasticity of the walls of blood vessels. If it starts to last, especially in the forehead area of ​​the brain, dementia starts, dementia. You should check your cholesterol and find out at least twice a year and, in the event of a small change, adjust its amount with food products: fish, oils, garlic, berries, ”says cardiologist Asta Grigaliūnienė.

Although cardiovascular disease is extremely fatal, according to cardiologists, up to 80 percent. These diseases could be prevented by adjusting lifestyle and diet. Based on plant-based products, fish, shellfish, and olive oil, it is widely known that the Mediterranean diet is extremely helpful for heart conditions.

“Although we do not live in the Mediterranean region, today we can buy these products year-round, but people in Lithuania still avoid eating like this because it is expensive and requires additional time and effort. However, we also have products in our country that they have a positive effect on heart health. There are many antioxidants in vegetables, fruits, folic acid and vitamin B12 that are important for heart function, one of the main sources is beef. Unfortunately, Lithuanians they don’t eat as many products as they should, so we don’t get the necessary amount of nutrients. We also eat too little fish, so we don’t get enough heart-rich omega-3 polyunsaturated acids, but we have too many heart-damaging saturated fats, fatty pork and fatty dairy products, “says Rimantas Stukas, professor at the VU School of Medicine.

Doctors acknowledge that while patients understand the impact of lifestyle and diet on health, they do not always follow the guidelines. The fast pace of life, the stress experienced at work and the lack of time often force to give up personal care until the diseases caused are out of control. For those people, doctors recommend trying balanced heart dietary supplements that ensure the daily rate of necessary nutrients.

“If the diet is not so easy to adjust, it can be supplemented with suitable food supplements that contain useful components of the Mediterranean diet. However, of course, even when taking supplements, it should not be forgotten that it is very important to control your diet and try get as many substances as possible that are beneficial for the heart and health with food, “says Professor R. Stukas.