What are the preventive measures for heart disease

To put it bluntly, the core logic of heart disease prevention is to try to bring all the factors that put extra burden on the heart back into a safe range. It is not as complicated as everyone thinks.

A while ago, I followed up with a 38-year-old Internet programmer. He used to stay up until two or three o'clock every day to get off work, ordering takeaways that were high in oil and salt, and a cup of full-sugar milk tea in the afternoon. Last year, his physical examination revealed that his blood lipids were three times higher than the normal upper limit. He often felt chest tightness. He was so frightened that he asked me if he should take lipid-lowering drugs immediately. I saw that he had not yet developed the problem of blood vessel plaques, so I asked him to try to adjust his living habits first, without rushing to take medicine. He later changed milk tea to warm boiled water, and walked briskly around the community for 40 minutes after dinner three days a week.

Many people have misunderstandings about the prevention of heart disease. They either think that they have to buy expensive heart-protecting health products and go to the gym every day to exercise vigorously, or they think that prevention is an IQ tax. Both of these statements are a bit extreme. First of all, genes do account for about 30% of the risk of heart disease. There are indeed a few people who have won the "gene lottery" and bad living habits have no impact. However, this small probability event is really not worth betting on for ordinary people. According to big data statistics, the risk of coronary heart disease for long-term smokers is 3.2 times that of non-smokers. No one can guarantee that they will be the lucky one. And those heart-protecting health care products that cost hundreds of dollars are actually less effective than if you add half a spoonful less salt or a spoonful less oil when cooking.

It’s interesting to say that the heart is like an old-fashioned water pump used at home. If you run it at full capacity every day, stuff oil and dirt into the pipes, and increase the voltage from time to time, it will naturally have problems within a few years. If you regularly connect the pipes and don’t let it run overloaded, its service life will naturally be much longer. For example, many young people think that high blood pressure and high blood lipids are geriatric diseases, and they don't take it seriously when they are diagnosed. Last year, I treated a 29-year-old young man who had high blood pressure for three years and never took medicine. He stayed up late and played games every day. After staying up all night, he suddenly suffered an aortic dissection and was sent to the emergency room. He almost didn't save him. In fact, he often measured his blood pressure at home and stabilized his blood pressure below 130/80mmHg, which is the most basic safety lock for his heart.

Some patients have asked me before, do I need to eat boiled vegetables every meal and run 5 kilometers every day to prevent heart disease? You really don’t have to, it’s too anti-human and I can’t stick to it. Don’t eat more than 500 grams of red meat per week, and try to avoid processed meats such as sausages and bacon. It’s okay to eat hot pot and barbecue if you are craving for it occasionally, just don’t eat it every day. There is no need to pursue high-intensity exercise. If you don’t move much at ordinary times, suddenly running 10 kilometers on the weekend may cause heart problems. Just pick something you can persist in, such as walking, Tai Chi, and square dancing. Moving is better than sitting.

There are still many people who ignore the impact of emotions. I once treated a 62-year-old aunt who had a fight with her daughter-in-law and was so angry that she had a heart attack on the spot. Don’t always be too aggressive. When something bad happens, wait for 3 minutes before speaking. If you don’t sulk, the burden on your heart will be much lighter.

People often ask if there is a once-and-for-all prevention method. To be honest, there is no way. Heart disease itself is a problem accumulated little by little over a long period of bad habits. Prevention also has to fall into the little things every day. It doesn’t have to be complicated. If you can persist in these inconspicuous little things, you will have blocked more than 80% of the risks for the heart.