Cardiovascular Disease

What causes cardiovascular disease?

CVD is caused by a combination of factors. Some of these are out of our control such as age, gender and ethnicity. However, there are a number of lifestyle factors that are under our control including, poor diet (high in sugar, fat, salt and processed foods), lack of physical exercise, obesity, smoking, too much alcohol,  poor sleep and stress.

Certain conditions also increase the risk of CVD and may have no symptoms – these include high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. It is important to look at your own circumstances and understand where you can take control and make changes. 

How do I know if I have cardiovascular disease?

The commonest way of identifying CVD is when a person starts to develop symptoms. If the heart is affected there may be chest pain, breathlessness, palpitations, dizziness or blackouts. These can be a sign of heart attacks or angina, heart failure, heart rhythm disturbance or heart valve disease.

If the brain is affected there may be weakness, speech problems that can be a sign of stroke. If the peripheral arteries are affected there may be cramping pain in the legs on walking.

 However, CVD can also develop before the onset of symptoms and it is important to look for risk factors like high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes.

It is also important to understand your own risk factor profile by considering your age, gender, ethnicity and looking at your family history, diet, exercise and lifestyle. Thinking about where you can make improvements is vital.

Your Cardiologist can do this with you and can advise on lifestyle modification or medications that may be required. The Cardiologist will also be able to access more specific tests to create a tailored assessment for you.

What can I do to reduce my chances of getting cardiovascular disease?

You can reduce your chances of developing cardiovascular disease by adopting a healthy lifestyle and looking at your individual risk factor profile. There is a lot of information on how to change your lifestyle (including diet, exercise, smoking etc) on the British Heart Foundation and the NHS website. Your Cardiologist will be happy to talk through this with you and will also perform a tailored risk assessment and work with you to develop an achievable and sustainable management plan.

If you have already been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease the most important step is NOT TO WORRY. It is crucial to try to take control of the situation with your Cardiologist. Building your understanding about CVD and your own specific risk will help you to use lifestyle modifications and prescribed medications safely.