The heart is one of our vital organs, needed to pump blood around the body. If there is any kind of problem with the heart it can prove fatal.
In the UK, heart and circulatory diseases are among the biggest causes of death – accounting for around a quarter of all fatalities every year. These include conditions such as coronary heart disease, heart failure, angina, heart attacks and strokes.
Therefore, maintaining good heart health is vital. A number of factors can put this at risk.
Lifestyle factors such as your diet, how often you exercise and whether you smoke can contribute. However, some people can be more at risk due to their genetics.
Regardless of this there are steps we can all take to lower your chances of developing cardiovascular disease. One expert took to social media to share five such steps.
Speaking to her more than 100,000 followers on TikTok, cardiologist Nicole Harkin revealed what she avoids to protect her heart.
These were:
- Smoking
- Dismissing chest pain
- Eating processed meats
- Ignoring strong family history of heart disease
- Poor sleep.
“Five things I’ll never do, cardiology edition,” she said.
“One, smoke or vape. Almost all the heart attacks I’ve seen in young women are in women who smoke.
“Two, dismissed chest pain. Even if I think I’m low risk for a heart attack.”
According to Nicole, a “shocking” amount of heart attacks happen in people who would be considered low risk by traditional screening criteria,
She said: “People are always so much sicker when they roll into the hospital having had chest pain for hours.”
Nicole warned of a popular food that could be putting your heart at risk.
“Number three, eat bacon,” she said. “Regular consumption of processed meat, think hot dogs, hamburgers, deli meat, has been shown to increase the risk of heart disease in a robust linear fashion aka it trashes your arteries.
“Four, ignore a strong family history of heart disease. This is the other reason I see young people coming in with heart attacks.”
She advised: “Check in regularly with your doctor and get screened.”
Her final recommendation was getting a good night’s sleep where possible.
“After a decade of training and three young kids I cherish my sleep,” she added.
This is backed by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, which states that poor sleep could increase your chances of heart disease.
It says: “Insomnia is linked to high blood pressure and heart disease.
“Over time, poor sleep can also lead to unhealthy habits that can hurt your heart, including higher stress levels, less motivation to be physically active, and unhealthy food choices.”
