September 29 World Heart Day is celebrated. On this occasion, Pranas Šerpytis, professor of Vilnius University, cardiologist of the Heart and Vascular Clinic, urges us to look at ourselves and think about how we can change in order to preserve our heart health. What are the seven rules we should follow to avoid cardiovascular disease? What does heart health have to do with good emotions, quality sleep and music? Is it worth reducing high cholesterol, or is it just a fantasy of doctors?
According to the professor, cardiovascular diseases are still one of the main causes of death worldwide. We can change this if we change ourselves – by following a few simple lifestyle rules, we can reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases by 80%.
The professor singles out 7 basic rules for a healthy heart:
- physical activity,
- proper nutrition,
- arterial blood pressure control,
- the right amount of cholesterol,
- maintaining a healthy body weight,
- proper blood sugar levels,
- not smoking
According to prof. Mr. Šerpytis, it is especially important to be physically active. “We need to talk about the benefits of physical activity in all age groups – both in kindergartens and schools and in later stages of life. It is extremely important to promote physical activity in the family, because it is here that the proper behavior of the child is formed, family members themselves must be active and set an example for the children. “Physical activity is a magic pill for reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, but we can’t just swallow it – we have to earn it ourselves by taking action,” he says.
The importance of good emotions and quality sleep
According to the professor, chronic stress is also one of the risk factors for cardiovascular diseases.
“If we experience stress every day, it accumulates and increases our arterial blood pressure. Stress is a good thing, it helps us function, but repeated stress causes negative changes in our body. Constant nervous tension is associated with internal changes in blood vessels and hormones, all of which promote the development of cardiovascular diseases. Unknown to many, chronic stress can also be caused by various chronic inflammations, such as periodontitis. This disease increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases by about 30 percent. Therefore, oral hygiene is also an important factor. Chronic stress can also be caused by other ailments, such as gallbladder or kidney inflammatory processes,” says the cardiologist.
According to him, in order to have a healthy heart, it is also important to surround yourself with positive emotions and get quality sleep.
“Every day we encounter a lot of negative emotions. If we want to be a happy and healthy nation, we must praise someone at least three times a day, say a good word. Good emotions reduce stress. Quality sleep is also very important – it helps us regain strength. It’s true, we have to prepare for sleep – don’t listen to loud music, don’t watch horror movies and don’t consume any stimulants, such as coffee or strong tea, right before going to bed, as this can cause sleep disturbances. Calm, for example, classical music helps to prepare for sleep. Also pets – if a person has a dog, he should be taken out for a walk. During such walks, we calm down, exercise, and get good emotions, which sets us up for quality rest. In addition, it has been observed that those who sleep poorly are more likely to suffer from depression. And depression is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Therefore, good sleep is very important in order to control the risk of these diseases”, says prof. P. Šerpytis.
Cholesterol must be controlled
According to the professor, there is still a prevailing opinion in society that there is no need to reduce high cholesterol, because high cholesterol is a fiction of doctors and scientists.
“This is not true. Cholesterol is basically a good thing, after all our liver is a cholesterol laboratory. It is only bad if there is too much cholesterol. In order to prevent this from happening, proper nutrition is very important. If the daily calorie limit is exceeded, a person must be physically active to burn off their excess. When we don’t do this, negative things happen, atherosclerosis is formed,” explains the specialist.
According to him, if the cholesterol level is not high, it can be regulated by weight loss, exercise, proper nutrition or taking certain food supplements.
“However, if cholesterol is genetically inherited or the level is very high, it needs to be reduced.” For this, specialist consultations and medications are necessary. Statins are commonly prescribed to lower cholesterol and help prevent complications related to cardiovascular disease. Scientific studies have shown that these drugs have a positive effect on the heart. However, there are still people who have already had a heart attack and are at very high risk of worsening their health, but still do not correct their elevated cholesterol levels. In order to improve health, we have to change ourselves, no one else will do it for us”, says Prof. Mr. Šerpytis.
Classical music for people with cardiovascular diseases
According to the professor, a number of scientific studies have been conducted, showing that music reduces stress, and therefore contributes to reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
“Listening to your favorite music stimulates the production of the hormone dopamine, so the feeling of happiness increases. Also, music improves memory, strengthens immunity and helps us overcome difficult periods of life. There are studies that show that, for example, the composition “The Four Seasons” by the composer Antonius Vivaldi can help you fall asleep and improve your sleep. For stimulating, energizing music, rock, heavy metal, music of other various genres are suitable. And when suffering from cardiovascular diseases, it is best to listen to classical music. The most important thing is to listen to music that is close to the heart, then it will give you the most positive emotions,” says prof. P. Šerpytis.
“Music not only helps health, but also promotes goodness. As the sun helps plants to grow, so music helps our harmonious personality to grow,” says the doctor.
There are many success stories
The professor says that over the years, he has come across many success stories where people who changed their lifestyle became healthier.
“One patient, who was not even 50 years old, had a myocardial infarction. This person was very active, worked seven days a week, did not rest, so he constantly felt very tired. Although he liked to sail, he did not do it because he devoted all his time to work. He had a myocardial infarction, fortunately he arrived at the treatment facility in time, he had a dilated blood vessel and did not develop heart failure. This man had a dream to travel around the world by sailing, so after he recovered, he realized this dream. This is one example of how you can change your life if you want. There was also a case where the patient was very overweight, drank a lot of coffee, and was physically inactive. However, he set a goal and lost about 30 kilograms, quit smoking. By doing this, his arterial blood pressure was on the mend, without even the need for medication. There are more such success stories”, says prof. P. Šerpytis.
According to him, science and cardiology are developing at a great pace, but the essence remains the same – in order to have a healthy heart, we must follow seven lifestyle rules.
“If someone were to put us to sleep and wake up in twenty or more years, we would see a huge change in technology and many new drugs that we couldn’t live without, just like we can’t imagine our life without information technology now. But even so, the point remains the same – we must follow the seven rules of a healthy heart. Like the Ten Commandments, there are seven tips for staying healthy. Because there is no single pill that hits the top ten. There are only so many measures we can take to stay healthy. So, on the occasion of World Heart Day, I wish everyone to follow those seven rules and teach a healthy lifestyle to their children. The most important thing is to change yourself, although it is difficult to do so. Let us know ourselves, for no one else will know us as we know ourselves. Let’s also get to know our heart – the Lithuanian Heart Association also invites us to do this”, urges prof. P. Šerpytis.
#Professor #Šerpytis #invites #heart #rules #enjoy #youth #good #health #longer
– 2024-04-27 12:59:58
