World Heart Day – a day dedicated to raising awareness of cardiovascular diseases including heart disease and stroke – takes place on September 29 each year. Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide, claiming 17.5 million lives per year. People with high blood pressure or high cholesterol, and those with diabetes or who smoke, are at greater risk for heart disease. The good news is there are many things you can do control the risk factors that lead to heart disease, including: increasing physical activity, maintaining a healthy diet, quitting smoking, and limiting alcohol intake. Exercise is not only a key to prevention, it has been shown to benefit people who already have heart conditions. A healthy diet that limits sodium, incorporates healthy fats, and incorporates vegetables, fruit, fish and whole grains can also help promote heart health.
See what the latest research says about heart health with our resources below.
World Heart Day: controlling your risk factors through better lifestyle choices
Featured Resources
- Blog post: Do you have a hidden heart risk in your medicine cabinet?
- Blog post: Living with heart failure: Effective self-care is key to coping well
- Blog post: Living with heart failure: How to avoid hospital re-admission
- Blog post: Nurse-led clinics offer support for people with heart disease
- Blog post: Don’t rely on fatty acid supplements for protection against heart disease
- Blog post: Telehealth: A new fix for an old problem – helping people with chronic conditions take better care of themselves
- Blog post: Struggling with your weight? Get active and improve your health with high intensity interval training!
- Blog post: 5 diet changes supported by research evidence
- Web Resource Rating: High cholesterol: Does reducing the amount of fat in your diet help?
- Web Resource Rating: Preventing CVD
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DISCLAIMER: These summaries are provided for informational purposes only. They are not a substitute for professional medical advice. The summaries may be reproduced for non-profit educational purposes. Any other use must be approved by the McMaster Optimal Aging Portal (info@mcmasteroptimalaging.org).
