It’s important that my clients understand the definition of heart health. This concept can allow you to live a rather comfortable and disease-free life. Or your poor cardiovascular health can get you stuck in the revolving door of healthcare. So, what is heart health? How will it affect you?
Importance of Heart Health
I first encountered the phrase heart health when consulting for a healthcare startup. They focused on managing high blood pressure, which alone was one of the leading causes of heart disease.
#hearthealth fascinates me because the heart plays a central role in overall health. With most pediatric diseases wiped out and antibiotics readily available most of us will make it well into our forties.
With heart-healthy choices, it’s quite likely to make it well into your 80s. A healthy heart can even help prevent other chronic diseases such as cancers or diabetes.
Age-Related Diseases
It’s in our forties that poor cardiovascular health can have major health effects. For example, high blood pressure can cause heart failure, kidney disease, or heart attacks.
If you managed to dodge hypertension, you might still face blood vessel diseases such as a heart attack from atherosclerosis or peripheral vascular disease.
Women are at risk of strokes as they age and men at risk of myocardial infarctions and erectile dysfunction.
A Healthy Heart
The heart is at the center of the cardiovascular system and therefore controls everything downstream. This includes the blood vessels and the organs it supplies.
Living with a healthy heart is mostly about prevention; preventing extra strain on the heart and preventing poor cardiac output.
Starting our 40s with a healthy heart means that we can live longer and live a better life. Which is a life with less disease, fewer medications, and fewer visits to the doctor.
Measuring Heart Health
In our modern age of data, it’s common to want to know metrics. So my clients look for a way to quantify the health of their hearts.
There are heart scores we can calculate based on your family history and current cardiovascular health. But achieving a healthy heart requires strong preventative strategies.
Prevention
Fortunately, it’s never too late to start on prevention. Regardless of where you are in your #hearthealth journey, it’s always possible for things to improve or worsen.
Our lifestyle choices strongly impact our heart performance. These choices can be modified one step at a time resulting in a cumulative positive effect on the cardiovascular system.