Taking Care of The Family's Heart Health

You can be an advocate for the family's healthy heart by taking certain actions at home.

Each year cardiovascular diseases take the lives of 17 million people, with 80% of these deaths occuring in low and middle income countries. 7.3 percent of these are due to heart disease and 6.3 % due to strokes.
Cardiovascular disease is a major non-communicable disease and the # 1 cause of deaths globally. Fortunatley most of these deaths cna be prevented.

Cardiovascular diseases are:

• Strokes



• Coronary heart disease



• Congenital heart disease



• Peripheral artery disease



• Rheumatic heart disease

It is important that the global efforts to fight heart disease do not rest on policy makers and world leaders only, but on individual homes and families.

This year the them for World Heart Day was: 'One World.One Home. One Heart.'

The World Heart Federation and The World Health Organization (WHO) are challenging us all to take charge of our family's heart health and become our home's advocate for healthy living.


We have one heart and not two, if the heart is bad it leaves us without a good one. Fortunately most of the deaths by heart attacks can be prevented by:
1-Preventing cardiovascular disease
2-Knowing the warning signs of a heart attack

Prevention
Heart disease can be prevented by eliminating the risk factors that cause cardiovascular disease. Awareness of these risk factors and their impact on heart health is a major step in preventing heart attacks.

The majority of deaths can be prevented by healthy eating, regular exercise and no smoking. These lifestyle habits are the key actions in preventing heart attacks.

This year for World Heart Day we are raising awareness of the actions that families can take at home to prevent premature deaths due to heart disease.

These are some of the actions:
*Ban smoking from home
* Stock your home with healthy food for health eating.
Click Here for a guide to healthy eating and shopping.

*Limit the amount of time spent sitting for leisure- Less than two hours of watching TV

*Increase physical activity- Go cycling, hiking or on walking trips
* Walk or bicycle instead of using the car whenever possible
Click Here for easy ways to keep physically active

*Have your blood pressure, glucose levels and cholesterol checked by a health professional

*Assess your weight health using the body mass index (BMI)
Click Here to start

If your body mass index is over 25, plan to lose 5-10% of body, this applies to each member of the family.
Click Here To start

The Warning Signs
Over 70% of heart emergencies occur in the home with another family member present.
Knowing the warning signs of a heart attack can save the life of a family member.

The warning signs are:

• Chest discomfort


• Discomfort or pain spreading to one or both arms, the back, the neck, jaw or stomach


• Shortness of breath without discomfort


• Shortness of breath with discomfort


• Cold sweats


• Nausea or vomiting


• Unexplained weakness

If you suspect a person is having a heart attack, call for emergency help immediately.

Children Not Getting Enough Vitamin D3-Study

According to a recent study children in the USA are not getting enough vitamin-D during the Summer months.

Researchers found that only children with fair, white skin living in the northern United States do, and if no sunscreen is used.

Experts believed that everyday outdoor exposure to the sun was sufficient to give people the recommended daily dose.

Researchers wanted to know if that type of exposure was enough to give children 600 iu per day.

Data from a survey of nearly 10,000 people including 2000 children were examined. They used a skin-type scale which placed them into categories based on skin complexion and tolerance to sunlight.

There were six categories ranging from type 1 ( very fair, usually burns, difficulty tanning) to type 6 (black, never burns, tans easily).

The results of the study showed that only the fair skin children (type 2) were able to achieve the minimum recommended daily dose of vitamin D3 from the sun.

Children with skin type 3-4 may achieve the recommended daily requirements, but without the use of sunscreen.

The children with the darker skin ( type V and type VI) may never achieve optimal production.

Read the report

Childhood Obesity Needs Medical Intervention

In a survey of 2,179 Americans including 728 parents, only 54% said they would consider it very important to seek medical attention for an overweight or obese child.

More than 80% said it was important to seek help for symptoms of asthma and diabetes.
More that 70% said they would do so for learning disability.

The survey shows that many parents would not seek medical intervention for childhood obesity, but would do so for the problems associated with it.


Of those who took the survey:
1-80% of the parents said they were best suited to prevent obesity in the child.
2- 83% said they look to schools for assistance.
3- More than 90% said they would take their child to a doctor for weight related issues if the teacher said the child had a health problem.

Only 54% consider it very important to seek the help of a doctor.

Childhood obesity has tripled in the last 30 years and parents lack of understanding of its seriousness is a major concern.

Based on the results of the survey, for childhood obesity to be treated, parents and teachers need to be educated not only in mangaging weight, but in knowing when medical intervention is necessary.

There is an affordable way to learn weight control and management at home.
Click Here for details.