Following on from our recent article regarding heart disease is a chilling declaration in the Daily Telegraph that in the UK:

“one hundred thousand people are living undiagnosed with an inherited condition that means they could suffer a fatal heart attack at any time.”

The article reports on a hereditary disorder called Familial Hypercholesterolaemia that causes extremely high cholesterol levels in the body, a major indicator for coronary heart disease and heart attacks.

The most worrying thing is that despite it being the most common hereditary disorder in the UK, very few people have even heard of it. And it’s not just adults who are at risk:

“Children as young as eight with the condition may be prescribed statins for the rest of their lives to control their cholesterol levels and all offspring of affected patients should be tested by the age of 10 at the latest, the guideline is expected to say.

Familial Hypercholesterolaemia is the most common inherited disorder in the UK, affecting one in 500 people, yet there is no co-ordinated screening programme to detect it.”

The NHS have come under heavy criticism with only 15,000 people having so far been diagnosed, with calls coming for a National Screening test.

This re-emphasises the need to be vigilant when it comes to you and your familes health, especially for those with a family history.

If you wish to find out more about preventing heart disease and reducing cholesterol then take a look at our recent article ‘How to Keep a Healthy Heart’.

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Anyone concerned about heart disease should keep a regular check on their eyes, with a certain type of eye damage giving crucial early clues to the onset of the disease.  According to a new study people with a type of eye damage known as retinopathy were nearly twice as likely to die of heart disease related deaths than those without it.

It goes without saying that people showing signs of such eye damage – especially if over-weight – may be getting a first warning of the need to lower cholesterol and blood pressure. If that’s you then we have provided some tips below to help get you started. Just remember – this is just a reference and if you have any heart worries it is extremely important that you see your GP straight away.

Tips to lower cholesterol and blood pressure:

1. See Your GP to see about appropriate medication.
2. Weight Control – The more you weigh the higher your BP is likely to be
3. Exercise Regularly – A fit heart will pump blood with less pressure. Just 10 weeks of regular aerobic exercise can reduce BP significantly.
4. Healthy Diet – eat plenty of fresh or frozen fruit and vegetables and reduce your consumption of dairy, red meats and biscuits etc
5. Reduce Salt – should be a maximum of 6g per day for adults
6. Reduce Caffeine – drink less tea and coffee
7. Reduce Alcohol - Stick to the recommended allowances or less and avoid binge drinking. Recommended allowance  is 3-4 units per day for men and 2-3 units for women.
8. Stop Smoking  - one of the biggest causes of heart disease and cancer.
9. Reduce Stress – increased stress can increase BP – especially if you counter stress with food, drink and cigarettes
10. Use Alternative Therapies – there are many effective natural remedies and supplements available to help reduce blood pressure and cholesterol.
11. Monitor Your Progress  - Blood pressure can be checked regularly without the need to see your GP by using blood pressure monitors to keep a track of your progress.

This is not an exhaustive list but will definitely go a long way to getting you on the right road. Again we re-iterate – if you are concerned about your heart then see your GP straight away.

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A recent study in the US has reported that running regularly can prevent aging. It stands to reason that those people who exercise will be healthier than those who don’t, but this new report gives significant evidence supporting just how crucial exercise for the elderly is. If like me the mere mention of the word ‘running’ leads to profuse sweating and nervousness fear not – although the report focusses on running any aerobic exercise would be relevant.

The study carried out by Stanford University Medical Center followed the progress of 500 elderly runners over a period of 20 years, comparing it to the progress of a similar group of non runners. All of the participants of each group were in their 50s at the start of the study.

So what exactly does the report tell us?

Well in a nutshell that those who run regularly live a longer and healthier life than those who do not, with elderly runners having a 50% less chance of dying prematurely.

This was confirmed by the fact that after 19 years of study 34% of the non runners had actually died compared to just 15% of the runners. Furthermore it was found that the onset of disability occured 16 years earlier in the non-runners.

So what does this mean?

“Exercise can help older people to stay mobile and independent, ensure a healthy heart, keep weight and stress levels under control, and promote better sleep” says  Gordon Lishman, the General Director of Age Concern.
He continues; “while younger people are barraged with encouragement to lead healthier lifestyles, the health needs of older people are often overlooked.”

Basically the message is that the more aerobic exercise you get, the better your chances of keeping your health as you age.

If you have not exercised for a long time the thought of doing so could be daunting. Try not to worry. There are loads of ways to exercise besides running, many of which are often provided by local council run leisure centers which cater specific exercise classes for the elderly. If running doesn’t appeal then maybe swimming or water aerobics will. Even a brisk walk for half an hour each day could make all the difference. And if you really want to be hip with the grand kids then check out the wii fit – that’ll get your heart rate up.

TIP – if you do get a wii fit buy yourself a trampette (mini trampoline) as well. It’s a great tool to enhance the running exercises and it will save your poor joints too!

Whatever your choice of exercise just make sure that you make it a routine part of your life style and hopefully it will be a long time before you really feel the benefits.

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