Providing excellent care for patients with heart conditions
Exercise is one of the simplest and cheapest medicines around.
And you don’t need to be a marathon runner to get some benefit from increased activity levels. Even 10 minutes a day can make a difference.
Try it and see how it changes your blood pressure, cholesterol and body weight, as well as your mental health!
Recent evidence suggests that even moderate amounts of alcohol can be harmful to the heart and blood vessels. It is worth checking how much you are drinking. Even more than around five drinks per week could have an impact. Research from the University of Cambridge suggests that drinking less can help longterm health.
Check out this link from the British Heart Foundation’s News Site for more details.
Cardiovascular disease – diseases of the heart and blood vessels – remains one of the greatest causes of premature death and prolonged illness in the United Kingdom.
Sadly, Greater Manchester now has the highest rates of cardiovascular disease across the UK.
I am keen to work with people who are concerned about heart disease, either in themselves or their loved ones, and enable them to maintain healthy and fulfilling lives.
I intermittently post information and links about heart disease on this site, to help people understand more about heart problems
Coronary disease is a killer.
A key issue that we face in modern society is that of having highly processed diets, with far lower levels of physical activity than ever before.
Citrus fruits may be an easy way to gain from a healthier diet and lifestyle without punishing yourself.
Flavonones, natural components of citrus fruits, may well aid the fight against heart disease by damping down the inflammatory processes that act to fur up the coronary artery.
It is likely that with the right combination of activity, diet and lifestyle, a Vitamin C rich diet, especially in an acute take, make sure you’re ready!
Classically, patients with heart valve disease have had to undergo open heart surgery, to repair or replace faulty heart valves.
Heart valve disease is common; increasingly so with an ageing population who are being treated more pro-actively than in previous times.
An alternative to open heart surgery are various ‘keyhole’ techniques, designed to repair or replace faulty valves. These allow the treatment of patients who would otherwise be deemed too high risk for open surgery.
There are lots of diets out there, from fasting to high-protein/high-fat through to the palaeolithic! Not all are sustainable, and some don’t make for good longterm cardiovascular health.
Some basic advice is to eat more fresh fruit and vegetables, and reduce highly processed carbohydrates. It is hard to do in this age of processed foods, but it will work in the long term. I’d also suggest snacking on unsalted nuts rather than crisps, and looking for whole grain foods will help stave off hunger cravings.
New research published in the internationally acclaimed journal The Lancet suggests a strong interaction between increased body mass index and all-cause mortality, not just cardiovascular disease. The paper is referenced here
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(16)30175-1/abstract
Recent data suggest that butter may not be as bad as was previously thought. At worst it has a neutral effect on cardiovascular health. However, in relative terms it is still more likely to cause problems than monounsaturated fats, like those found in extra virgin olive oil. The key emerging message is to avoid trans-fats, which produce a higher risk of cardiovascular disease if eaten on a regular basis.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/866199
This year Manchester hosts the annual conference of the British Cardiac Society. This major national meeting will bring leading cardiologists together right here in Manchester. An opportunity for cutting edge cardiology to look at the fast changing face of Manchester!