In my conversations with my patients, they are often surprised by 2 facts that don’t seem to go together.
1. That heart disease is the leading cause of death and disability in the world.
2. That the vast majority of heart disease is preventable.
And you may also think, how can this be? How can the leading cause of death and disability be preventable and yet remain the leading cause of death and disability?
The answer, of course, is complex, but this is why I think we can’t trust others to take care of our heart health. We have to do it ourselves.
lose the war
It is clear that we are losing the war against heart disease. Sure we have amazing procedures and medications, but they can only do so much. Heart disease remains the leading cause of death and disability in the world.
What is particularly problematic about this is that we know exactly how to keep your Heart healthy. Take care of the 7 common sense aspects of health and your risk of heart disease will be reduced by 80%. Really, 80%!
And the benefits do not end in the Heart. These 7 good health factors reduce the risk of stroke by 50%, the risk of cancer by a third and are the most effective ways to prevent dementia.
life is simple 7
What are these 7 magical things? The American Heart Association calls them “Life’s Simple 7” and they are:
- activate
- Stop smoking
- Eat better
- Manage blood pressure
- control cholesterol
- lower blood sugar
- Lose weight
So it’s not particularly surprising, mostly common sense, but when taken care of, it’s remarkably effective in improving the health, length, and quality of life.
And how are we doing with this knowledge?
By almost any criterion, the response is poor. More than 9 million people die each year from heart disease. When you add stroke (the combination of stroke and heart attacks that doctors call cardiovascular disease), that’s 15 million deaths per year or about one death every 2 seconds)
Now back to our original question. How can this be? How can the leading cause of death and disability be preventable and yet remain the leading cause of death and disability?
follow the money
It’s a good question, and no doubt the reasons are complex, but one undeniable factor is that a lot of money is made when we’re sick.
The financial success of the tobacco industry, the fast food industry, the soft drink industry, the health industry, the pharmaceutical industry and many others depends on you making decisions that make your heart sick.
But it does not have to be like that. You don’t have to pay with your life for the bottom line of big industry. It is important that you know that your future health is in your hands.
I will continue to talk about simple steps that can keep your heart in the game.
Because you – and your heart – deserve it.
