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.

How To Determine Your Risk For A Heart Attack

Do you know whether your blood is flowing freely or becoming blocked?
 You probably don't if you didn't have them checked out.

According to a recent study we can determine if we are at risk for a heart attack because we all fall into one of three categories:
1- High risk-You have existing diseases such as diabetes, heart and kidney disease.
2-At risk- You have more than one of the following:
-The risk factors mentioned in our program,
-A family history of early heart disease
-High blood pressure
-High cholesterol
-Metabolic syndrome
3-Optimal Risk-No risk factors.

The study involving women showed that only 4 percent were in the 'optimal risk' category. Almost 75 % fell in the 'at risk' category, many with the risk factors mentioned in our program. Fortunately most of those in this category can reverse their risk by making lifestyle changes.

This article has a video on things that one can do to correct blocked arteries.
How to Determine Your Heart Attack Risk - On Women (usnews.com).

By participating in this consumer health program one can learn to reduce these risk factors by making lifestyle changes.

Planning a Healthy Christmas Holiday & New Year?

Christmas is a time for giving gifts, celebrations, parties, food, drinks and booze.

The new year is a time for resolutions. Many resolutions are made, but many are quickly and easily broken. Some reasons for failed resolutions are:

• Resolution not realistic
• Resolution not a priority

Many resolutions are centered around lifestyle changes, self improvement and healthier living. A popular one is ' to lose weight.'

This year at the health boot camp attendees can learn healthy habits as they celebrate the holiday season.  They can set realistic resolutions based on needs.

The camp is online at the webiste without a trip and unnecessary costs. Attendees have an opportunity to preview to prepare.

Attendees will follow the instructions given, they will incorporate them into their daily routine, making changes as necessary.The instructions are for reducing or eliminating health risk factors that contribute to unhealthy lifestyles.

Without leaving home and office they get to identify barriers to healthy lifestyle, barriers to successful New Year resolutions.

Final Ruling ControlsThe Use Of Tobacco

A final rule has been issued by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) on the marketing and use of tobacco.

Tobacco smoke is the number 1 cause of many fatal diseases and unhealthy lifestyles.

The patient health education program at makinghealthdecisions.com emphazises smoking as a health risk factor to teach people to self care.

The rule will restrict the sale, distribution and use of cigarettes and smokelesss tobacco. It will make it difficult to advertise, sell and promote cigarettes and smokeless tobacco. The rule controls how tobacco is promoted; it prohibits their sale.

• To people younger than 18


• In packages of less than 20
  
• In vending machines, self service displays

Read more

What Can I Give?

Gifts of health can be chosen based on the immediate needs of the person. Several can be seen displayed on the right.
Persons requiring lifestyle changes are need in many ways. They need reassurance and support, they may be struggling to make it work, they may be affected financally.
Those with with physical problems may be managing their health for a full recovery.
Give a gift that would make a difference.
If the person is a teen facing challenges with addiction, give a gift to motivate or to educate.
Behaviour modification can be powerful tools for this.
If health risk factors are hindering the person's success with being healthy, give a gift to enlightening and make aware them aware

Give them a subscription to online health education.

Give a gift certificate if control is more important than surprise.


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Why Give Gifts Of Health?

Outcomes Of Giving Gifts Of Health:

• When you give a gift of health you may be providing financial help at a time of health needs.


• Since ill health can accompany financial difficulties. you are helping in more than one ways.


• You will be showing support and not abandonment when lifestyle changes are necessary.


• You can be a valuable source if information to that person.
• You have a happier, healthier family or friend

Text messaging & Email effective with Quitters

There is good news for smokers planning to quit. Researchers analysed data from 4 trials in the UK, New Zealand and Norway.

The interventions were:

1. Text messages with advice and encouragement sent regularly to smokers' mobile phone


2. Text messages to the phone in conjunction with email

They found that mobile phone intervention appeared to increase the prevelance of self reported smoking abstinence at 4 weeks after cessation.

They also found an increase in long term self reported quitting with the Internet and text messsages. Data was taken from the same trials. More studies are planned on the long term effects of mobile phones.

If you know of someone who must quit or who is planning to quit give them a gift of one of these text messaging

Text Messaging Linked to Smoking Cessation

It is good news for smokers planning to quit. According to a recent report, text messaging and email are linked to smoking cessation.

Researchers analysed data from 4 trials in the UK, New Zealand and Norway.

The interventions were:

1. Text messages with advice and encouragement sent regularly to smokers' mobile phone
2. Text messages to the phone in conjunction with email

They found that mobile phone intervention appeared to increase the prevelance of self reported smoking abstinence at 4 weeks after cessation.

They also found an increase in long term self reported quitting with the Internet and text messsages. data was taken from the same trials.

More studies are planned on the long term effects of mobile phones

It has also been proven that help from family and friends is effective in bringing about that change.
If you know of someone whose goal is to quit, give them one of these instead of a pair of shoes, for example. Give them that gift of health. Read the report here

Related Post

This is an example of text messaging available in both a US & a UK version.