There are a lot of people who find this question a little unsettling! You eat a balanced diet, you exercise regularly, and you do not use tobacco or drink alcohol; yet, we continue to see additional reports of heart disease in individuals who appear to be healthy.
Recent research shows that the microbiome (a collection of microorganisms that live in your intestines) has an impact on your risk for developing heart disease, as do other hidden factors that many people do not consider when they are thinking about lifestyle choices and their overall health.
A Growing Concern Among the Young
Heart disease is on the rise to such an extent that it poses a major threat to those working at their careers aged between 35 and 45 in this country. In India, the statistics have recently suggested that there has been a significant rise in the number of deaths from heart attacks over the past few years. Research indicates that South Asians as a whole are at a higher risk than other populations, even if they are normal weight and appear to live an active and healthy lifestyle. Experts say that South Asians tend to have a different type of body composition; many of these individuals tend to have hidden fat around their internal organs and have much less muscle mass than their counterparts of different ethnicities. The imbalance between their internal and external appearance contributes towards them being more exposed to cardiovascular disease.
The Role of Genetics
Genetics is still well-known as a hidden risk factor. If a family has a long history of early heart disease, there is a much higher chance that you will develop heart disease as well.
Familial hypercholesterolaemia is a condition that can cause someone to have high cholesterol from a very early age. These genetic conditions will be passed down to someone regardless of their diet or physical activity.
Doctors are very clear that you need to understand your family history in order to be able to assess your own true risk of heart disease before it is too late.
Stress Is a Silent Trigger
Contemporary way of life is under enormous strain: long hours working, worrying about money, not enough time to rest – all of these factors are having an impact on your physical well-being.
Chronic stress causes activation of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), which causes an increase in heart rate and blood pressure. If this happens repeatedly over a long period of time, it causes inflammation and damage to the blood vessels.
It can be difficult to accurately assess the effects of stress because it isn’t as easily quantified as smoking or obesity; nevertheless, stress has a significant and negative impact on heart health.
Pollution and the Environment
Air pollution, particularly PM2.5 fine particulate matter, has become an increasing contributor to cardiovascular diseases (CVD). When inhaled, the particles can cross into the bloodstream and cause inflammation, damaging the blood vessels and causing plaque formation in the arteries. This is true even for people with a “clean” lifestyle who are being exposed to air pollution on a daily basis; therefore, air pollution is a major risk factor that is affecting a large number of people.
Air pollution is becoming one of the most significant and unrecognised threats to cardiovascular health in many urban areas.
Hidden Medical Conditions
A few dangers may lurk undetected for decades: Elevated levels of lipoprotein(a), an inherited marker, raise your risk for artery blockage. Chronic conditions like long-standing inflammation and the continued effects from previous infections also contribute to weakening the cardiovascular system with age. These diseases can develop with little or no signs or symptoms in the early stages and can be made much less likely to develop by frequent health checkups.
Diet Beyond Weight
Being thin does not mean a person has good health. Healthy dieting is based on the quantity and quality of food consumed.
Eating high amounts of refined sugars, processed foods and unhealthy fatty foods can harm the way that the body metabolises food. This can create inflammation in the body. All of this can increase the risk of heart disease, even in people that do not experience weight gain.
A person can appear to be healthy; however, by following a poor diet, they are harming themselves health-wise in the long term.
What You Can Do
A comprehensive and multi-faceted view of heart health is being promoted by a growing number of medical professionals. One of the first steps in improving your heart health is to discover your propensity for heart disease and/or other related conditions via genetic testing. After genetic testing, routine screenings (cholesterol, blood pressure, and other untested factors) for “hidden” risk factors provide an opportunity to identify and correct early indications that may serve as precursors to heart disease. Stress management, including the use of methods such as yoga, meditation, and mindfulness, is an integral part of heart health management.
Maintaining a healthy and diverse diet (comprised primarily of fresh fruits and vegetables) and regularly participating in moderate or vigorous physical activity, as well as ensuring your body is well-rested and hydrated, directly contributes to your ability to maintain cardiovascular health.
Also Read; Cool, Spicy, Healthy: 10 Health Benefits of Drinking Jaljeera
