Lower Blood Pressure

There are many websites, books, radio and TV shows, and magazine articles all offering cardiac heart information, and promising the miracle cure to a healthy heart, and protection against death from heart attack, heart disease and heart risk.

This is not surprising as high blood pressure and heart disease affects nearly 1 million people in the United kingdom, and shockingly kills more than 110,000 people annually. It’s a big problem which none of us can afford to ignore.

Heart Deaths Statistics

The number of heart related deaths in the UK alone is the equivalent of thousands of fully loaded jumbo jet airplane crashes each year.

This is a mind numbing statistic, and it is incomprehensible why so many people do not take the time to learn more about this silent but prolific killer in our midst.

Scientific Evidence is key to beating Heart Disease

The key to understanding the condition is to look into the scientific evidence, and to understand the many different factors which may contribute to this devastating disease. This may offer the only hope of fighting back against the threat which blights so many of our lives.

A fascinating study was conducted in 2004 and published in the British Medical Journal, The Lancet. This study titled ‘INTERHEART: Nine factors that could save your life’ made an important discovery by examining the lifestyles of 30,000 people in 52 countries.

Nine Risk factors for Heart Disease

The effect of these nine risk factors is consistent in men and women, across different geographic regions, and by ethnic group, making the study applicable worldwide.

It concluded that irrespective of where you live, how old you are, or what you look like, 90 % of first heart attacks (myocardial infarction) suffered by people can be attributed to nine risk factors, which usually result in a particular type of disease of the heart.

These nine risks are as follows :-

* cigarette smoking
* high ratio of blood lipids (or blood fats)
* high blood pressure (greater than 120 / 80)
* diabetes
* abdominal obesity
* excessive stress
* lack of daily consumption of fruits and vegetables
* insufficient daily physical exercise
* excessive alcohol consumption

An encouraging conclusion from the Interheart report however, is that all the above risk factors can be reduced by positive preventative action by the sufferer.

So, tackling any or all of the above risk factors which you may identify is applicable to your own life, will improve your chances of avoiding serious health problems or death from coronary heart disease.

Lower Blood Pressure Quickly ?

Further advice from the Interheart report concludes that crash courses in heart health improvement are unlikely to produce effective results, and it is very difficult to lower your blood pressure quickly, or improve your general heart health in a hurry. Instead, a progressive and holistic approach involving heart-healthy foods, stress relief, exercise and elimination of unhealthy lifestyle choices are recommended as necessary changes to enjoy a long and healthy life.