Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in the world and the number one killer of chronic diseases. More than 50,000 people die every year from vascular diseases such as stroke, hypertension, diabetes and kidney disease. The scary thing about cardiovascular disease is that there are no obvious signs before the onset. Until one day you suddenly have a stroke or myocardial infarction, it is too late!

This article explains how to properly maintain your cardiovascular system, what you should pay attention to when suffering from cardiovascular disease, and how to effectively prevent heart disease from three major recommendations: health examination, lifestyle, and daily care.

1. Regular health check-ups:
   After the age of 40, you should pay attention to and detect the three high problems as early as possible
   The three highs are a common phenomenon among modern people. According to NHS statistics from 2017 to 2020, the prevalence rates of the three highs (hypertension, hyperglycemia, and hyperlipidemia) in the UK are 26%, 11%, and 26% respectively. It is obvious that high blood pressure, high blood sugar and high blood lipids can seriously affect heart health and increase the risk of heart disease.
   
   The risk of cardiovascular disease brought by the three highs is so high that it is hard to ignore. The complications they bring are as follows:
   
   
   • High blood pressure:
     High blood pressure may cause damage, narrowing, and blockage of blood vessels, or overload the heart, leading to heart failure, stroke, or myocardial infarction. People with high blood pressure are five times more likely to develop heart disease.
     
   • Hyperglycemia:
     Excessive blood sugar can cause blockage of blood vessels throughout the body, causing atherosclerosis, blindness, kidney failure and limb necrosis; if it occurs in the heart, it can cause myocardial infarction and heart failure.
     
   • Hyperlipidemia:
     Hyperlipidemia is often combined with high blood pressure and hyperglycemia, and can also cause atherosclerosis, leading to the above-mentioned heart diseases. People with hyperlipidemia are three times more likely to suffer from heart disease than normal people.
     
     High blood pressure, high blood sugar and high blood lipids can be said to be early warning signs of cardiovascular disease, and they often appear at the same time. Therefore, regular health check-ups are the most effective way to monitor your own three high values. If there are already three levels of high blood pressure, regular follow-up visits are required to control the condition.
     
     It is recommended that high-risk groups over 40 years old can take free health examinations paid by health insurance and track blood sugar, blood lipid and blood pressure indexes every three years, while seniors aged 65 can track once a year to achieve prevention, control and tracking.
     
2. Less smoking and drinking, more exercise, and a light diet
   Most patients with heart disease and high blood pressure often have the habit of smoking, drinking, inactive or eating a diet high in sugar, sodium and oil. To protect the cardiovascular system and avoid the occurrence of heart disease, the best way to maintain your health is to change your lifestyle, among which the following three points are the most important:
   
   • ​Smoking less and drinking less:
     Smoking not only affects blood circulation function and causes vascular disease, but also causes lung cancer, oral cancer and other cancers; excessive alcohol intake may damage myocardial cells and cause heart failure. Those who like tobacco and alcohol are advised to quit smoking or reduce smoking and reduce alcohol intake.
     
   • Exercise more:
     Exercise can help maintain cardiovascular health, reduce the chance of heart disease, maintain body shape, promote metabolism and reduce stress. It is recommended to exercise 3 to 5 times a week for 30 to 60 minutes each time. The intensity of exercise can be based on “feeling a little breathless, able to speak but not sing” as the standard.
     
   • Eat a light and balanced diet:
     People with high blood pressure or cardiovascular disease should eat as little sugar, salt, and oil as possible, and eat more fiber-rich foods, but avoid nutritional imbalances caused by taboos. The daily diet can focus on whole grain staple foods, fish, fruits and vegetables, and eat less foods containing unsaturated fatty acids and trans fats.
     
3. Heart disease patients need to pay attention: large temperature differences can easily cause
   In addition to regular check-ups and maintaining a healthy life, heart disease patients need to be extra careful about the condition of their heart. In particular, sudden stimulation and large temperature differences are most likely to be ignored, which may cause a sudden heart attack, lead to stroke, myocardial infarction, and even sudden death in severe cases.
   
   Heart disease patients should maintain the following five daily habits:
   
   • Slow down your movements when getting up: When you first wake up, blood vessels have poor adaptability. Sudden heavy movements may cause cardiovascular disease. Therefore, after waking up in the morning, it is recommended to rest your mind for 5 minutes before getting up and moving.
     
   • Warm up before exercise: In winter or when you just wake up, the human body’s nervous system is still in a state of inhibition. Sudden strenuous exercise can cause overexcitation of the nerves, which in turn can induce cardiovascular disease. It is recommended that you warm up thoroughly before exercising.
     
   • Pay attention to keeping warm in winter: Cold in the hands, feet, head, face and other parts of the body in winter can easily cause peripheral vasoconstriction, rapid heartbeat or coronary artery spasm. Insufficient blood supply can lead to vascular obstruction, so it is necessary to keep warm in winter. Pay special attention to the warmth of the peripheral parts.
     
   • Pay attention to the temperature difference between hot and cold: low temperature can cause cardiovascular disease, but if the temperature difference between cold and hot is too large, such as walking out of a warm room to a cold outdoor, walking into an air-conditioned room on a hot day, taking a hot bath when the body is cold, etc., it may cause cardiovascular disease. disease. In daily life, attention should be paid to environmental temperature conversion to prevent the body from getting hot and cold in a short period of time.
     
   • Keep a happy mood: Negative emotions and excited emotions are also taboos for cardiovascular disease. It is recommended to relax your mind at all times, keep your mood calm, and avoid being stuck in negative emotions for a long time