Heart & Blood Circulation

In the heart of health: Power your life

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Power your life
 

Our heart powers our whole body. It lets us love, laugh and live our life to the fullness. Thus, it is so important to care for it to avoid putting ourselves at risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), which include heart disease and stroke.

About CVDs…
 
  • The No. 1 cause of death worldwide with 17.5 million premature death each year.
  • And by 2030, the total number of CVD deaths are predicted to rise to 23 million.
  • The annual global deaths from CVDs for South-East Asia recorded over 3.6 million, right after Europe and Western Pacific countries at the top.
  • Heart disease and stroke cause a third of all deaths in women worldwide.
  • Many CVDs are preventable by addressing simple daily life modifications, such as dietary habits, physical activities and quit smoking.
About CVDs…
 
Fuel your heart Move your heart Love your heart
     
Eating and drinking well give our heart the fuel it needs for us to live our life Stay active can help us reduce our risk of CVD Stop smoking is the best thing we can do to improve our heart fitness
     
     
  • Limit consumption of processed food (high in sugar, salt & fat)
  • Cut down sugary beverages – choose water/unsweetened juices
  • Swap sugary/sweet snacks for fresh fruits as healthy alternative
  • Keep amount of alcohol within recommended guidelines

 

 

 
  • Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity 5 times a week
  • Playing, walking, housework, dancing – they all count
  • Be more active every day – take stairs, walk or cycle instead of driving
  • Exercise with friends/family – more motivated & fun
  • Keep track with our workout progresses with fun exercise app
  • Within 2 years of quitting, the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) is about half from a smoker’s
  • Within 15 years, the risk of CVD returns to as a non-smoker
  • Quit smoking at younger age (< 40 year-old), able to gain up to 10 years of life expectancy compare to a smoker
  • Exposure to secondhand smoke is facing similar risk of CVD like a smoker

 
Know your …
 

Blood sugar levels

  • CVD accounts about 60% of all death in people with diabetes
  • If diabetes is left undiagnosed and untreated, it can cause one at increased risk of heart disease and stroke

 

Blood pressure

  • High blood pressure is the No. 1 risk factor for CVDs – a ‘silent killer’

 

Cholesterol levels & BMI

  • High cholesterol is associated with nearly 4 million deaths per year
  • Obesity is also caused one at significant increased risk of CVDs
References:
 
  1. World Heart Federation. 2016. World Heart Day: At the heart of health – Power your life. [Retrieved from http://worldheartday.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/WHDLeaflet_crop_bleed.pdf, 24 August 2016].
  2. World Health Organization. 2016. Tobacco Free Initiative (TFI): Fact sheet about health benefits of smoking cessation. [Retrieved from http://www.who.int/tobacco/quitting/benefits/en/, 24 August 2016].
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