Heart diseases such as heart attacks, arrhythmia and heart failure are preventable in most cases, but the lack of a culture of prevention and control of risk factors continues to place them as the first cause of death in the country and in the world.
Andrés Garzona, a cardiologist at Hospital Metropolitano, recommends that people attack these diseases from prevention and this is done through primary medical care. Likewise, it is important that there is a control to know whether or not you have risk factors that can make people more likely to suffer from heart disease. “There are people who have a history of cardiovascular diseases that may not be caught, but they will have an event, therefore, early prevention is still the best strategy to avoid any complications”, Garzona said.
For the specialist it is essential to keep track of the risk factors. In addition, being able to detect these factors before the person presents an event such as a heart attack. Some of the risk factors are as follows:
• High blood pressure (can be hereditary or caused by other diseases) and can damage the heart, brain, and kidneys.
• Sugar -taking care of glycemia levels (especially control tests from young people)- can be hereditary or can influence food.
• Smoking and smoking in general affects the heart directly.
• High cholesterol, lipids and triglycerides are a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases.
How do we prevent those risks?
First, watch your diet; balance your meals, reduce the consumption of flour, fried foods, sugars and fats. Also, be physically active. Daily exercise is recommended to maintain a healthier lifestyle, since physical inactivity is a factor that can increase the likelihood of heart disease. It is extremely important to follow these recommendations, in order to be able to detect a risk factor in time and be able to treat these heart diseases from prevention.
On September 29th, World Heart Day was commemorated. It was a special day to remember the importance of performing routine medical check-ups, being clear about the risks that put your health at risk. Do not wait until you suffer an event of this type, to seek help and schedule your appointment with the professionals of Hospital Metropolitano in its Center of Cardiovascular Excellence at: 2521-9595.
