Heart disease and stroke are major killers in Ireland. They account for nearly 40% of Irish deaths each year. In 2005 alone some 10,000 people died from heart disease and stroke. However, the risk of developing heart disease and stroke can be reduced or even prevented by lifestyle measures. Healthy eating and regular exercise are important.
- High blood pressure, high cholesterol, being overweight, and smoking are the main risk factors for heart disease.
Blood Pressure
Electronic blood pressure monitors for home use are very reliable medical instruments. They measure your blood pressure as precisely as your doctor or nurse would. However, a great deal depends on the accuracy of the device being used, which is confirmed by way of a clinical validation, which all leading brands try to attain. All MICROLIFE monitors were developed together with doctors with accuracy and reliability tested in controlled patient studies.
- Microlife Blood Pressure Monitors are successfully validated according to leading international protocols such as BHS (British Hypertension Society) Protocol or ESH (European Society of Hypertension) protocol.
- Despite the fact that heart disease is Ireland's number one killer, many of those screened admitted that they never gave their heart much thought and were not even aware what their cholesterol level should be.
- One in three Irish adults has a cholesterol level greater than five - the maximum level recommended by health professionals, a national screening initiative has revealed.
- Current European guidelines state that the average person should try to maintain a total cholesterol level of less than or equal to 5mmol/L (millimoles per litre).
If you are at risk, cholesterol control can make a big impact on your chance of a heart attack or other forms of heart disease. A major international study in 1995 showed that using treatment with statins reduced the incidence of a heart attack by 31% and death from cardiovascular disease by 22%. Since then many other international studies have confirmed these results.
Elevated cholesterol and lipid levels are important indicators of cardiac risk.
The Importance of Acting Quickly
 Cardiac arrest refers to the sudden loss of function of the heart. It occurs when there is an abrupt disturbance in the heart's rhythm. This can cause the heart to stop beating, or to stop beating enough to keep the person alive. It can occur in a person with or without heart disease.
- A person whose heart has stopped beating will fall unconscious and stop breathing normally.
- If the person does not get immediate medical assistance, sudden cardiac death will follow.
- The majority of adults who have experienced a sudden cardiac death are subsequently found to have some degree of coronary artery disease (fatty build-up in the arteries leading to the heart). This has caused the heart attack and the resulting cardiac arrest. However, when a sudden cardiac death occurs in a young adult/child, other heart abnormalities that have been present from birth are normally the cause. These often go by undetected.
- In most cases, cardiac arrest is reversible, but only if the victim is treated within a few minutes of the arrest occurring. CPR (cardio-pulmonary resuscitation – a manual technique used to restore circulation) and if possible, defibrillation (the administration of a controlled electric shock to the heart) can save a person's life if applied early enough.
- Brain damage can occur within a few minutes of cardiac arrest and few attempts at resuscitation succeed after 10 minutes have passed. Therefore time is absolutely essential.
Automatic External Defibrillators
While previously just available to health professionals, Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) have been made more widely available in the community in recent years: devices are now often placed in public locations where large numbers of people congregate or where incidence of cardiac arrest may be high – e.g., sports venues, health facilities, airports and shopping centres.
Body Mass Index (BMI)
Millions of pounds are spent every year on treating the side effects of obesity. It's a serious condition, known to contribute to Type 2 diabetes mellitus, heart disease, hypertension, stroke and some forms of cancer.
Obesity is currently defined as someone having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or more. However, both BMI calculations and weight scales can be misleading when assessing health and fitness levels.
The good news is that TANITA Body Composition Analysers not only measure BMI and weight but also categorise weight into body fat mass, fat free mass and total body water - all in a matter of seconds. Tanita strongly believes that categorising weight into fat mass and water provides a better picture of health than weight or BMI alone. This information can add a new dimension to long-term health management.
As part of a weight management or overall exercise programme, body composition analysis is not only a better indicator of health but also serves as a useful educational tool. It can improve health outcomes and compliance by highlighting the relationship between proper diet and exercise and changes in body composition.
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