Healthy Lifestyle

The risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD) can be divided generally into two main categories :
• Controllable Risk Factors • Uncontrollable Risk Factors

Uncontrollable risk factors

• Age - The older you get, the more likely you could develop CHD
• Race - Some races tend to have a higher predisposition to CHD. In the Singapore context, Indians generally have a higher incidence of CHD.
• Gender - Middle-aged men have a higher risk of CHD than women.
• Heredity - The genetic make-up of some individuals increases their chances of developing heart disease. This is especially true if there is family history of CHD.

Controllable risk factors

• High Cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood contribute to plaque build-up that can clog blood vessels leading to the heart, narrowing them and potentially blocking blood flow to the heart muscles.
• High Blood Pressure (hypertension) strains the heart and increases wear and tear on the blood vessels, making blockage more likely.
• Smoking has been identified as one of the most modifiable risk factors. Nicotine in cigarettes speeds up the heart and also narrows the arteries, making it harder for blood flow.
• Being Overweight - The American Heart Association has identified obesity as a major risk factor for CHD. Obesity increases blood pressure, blood cholesterol and the risk of diabetes, and may directly contribute to CHD.
• Inactivity - When you are inactive, your blood circulation is less efficient, increasing the risk of some blood vessel blockage.
• Stress can cause increase blood pressure in some individuals.

While it is important to understand your risk factors for heart disease, it is even more important whether you do something about it. It is strongly advised that you check your risk factors, especially the controllable ones and keep them under control.

Do you know……
Unhealthy lipid levels are one of the major risk factors for heart disease and stroke, which are still major killers in Singapore. The good news is that lipid levels can be controlled.

What is lipid? How would I know my lipid level?
The types of lipids are cholesterol, HDL, LDL and triglycerides.

The only way to know if your lipid levels are high is to have your lipid profile checked. It can be done with a simple blood test with 10 hours fasting.

How often should I check my lipid profile?
High lipid levels usually don’t have any symptoms. Therefore, we call it silent killers. Some doctors recommend that lipid profiles should be done regularly even by healthy individuals.

What can I do to prevent high lipid levels?
The primary prevention of high lipid level is to adopt a healthy lifestyle.

10 Great Ways To Control Your Lipid Levels

1. Reduce excess body fat to reach your ideal body weight.
2. If you drink, reduce your alcohol consumption to a moderate level. Alcohol is high in calories. It tends to increase one’s risk of high blood pressure, and it also increases triglyceride levels.
3. Stop smoking! And avoid second-hand (or passive) smoke.
4. Watch your diet. Eat more fibre, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and cereals.
5. Exercise! Build up a regular exercise habit for at least 30 minutes a day and five times a week.
6. Limit your dietary cholesterol intake. This means to replace high-fat animal foods with low-fat foods. Ask help from a dietician if you need assistance.
7. Limit the saturated fat in your diet. Saturated fat has far more impact on lipid levels in the blood than dietary cholesterol. Your liver makes cholesterol out of the saturated fat you take.
8. Be happy, relax and get adequate sleep. Anger and stress levels have been linked to heart disease.
9. Take medication regularly as advised by your doctor.
10. Do regular lipid profile tests. This will help you lower your lipid levels as measuring your lipid levels regularly will help you control it.