Does the heart have a code? The health of the heart is closely related to these 5 numbers

In August, 66-year-old Aunt Liu came to the hospital for treatment accompanied by her family.

During the consultation, we learned through detailed communication that Aunt Liu had experienced symptoms of chest tightness and shortness of breath more than half a month ago, and her symptoms had worsened in the past three days.

He was diagnosed with hypertension more than 10 years ago and has been taking amlodipine besylate tablets orally to lower his blood pressure, but he has not had a systematic physical examination in recent years.

Normally, the blood pressure is not too high, basically around 150/90 mmHg, and sometimes as high as 180/100 mmHg. There is symmetrical edema in both lower limbs, occasional paroxysmal dyspnea at night, and the patient needs to sleep with a high pillow.

After understanding Aunt Liu's condition, the doctor performed an electrocardiogram to check her sinus rhythm and found high-voltage ST-T changes in the left ventricle; cardiac color ultrasound showed enlargement of the left atrium and left ventricle, thickening of the ventricular septum, and LVEF of 45%. The preliminary diagnosis was hypertensive heart disease and heart failure .

After communicating with Aunt Liu and her family about her condition and treatment plan, Aunt Liu expressed her willingness to actively cooperate with the treatment.

After systematic adjustment of antihypertensive drugs, correction of heart failure treatment, and active combination of lifestyle intervention and improvement, Aunt Liu's condition was under control, and all indicators improved. Her blood pressure was around 130/70 mmHg, her heart rate could be controlled below 70 beats/minute, and her symptoms of chest tightness and shortness of breath basically disappeared.

Doctors remind: Long-term high blood pressure without good control can gradually stimulate myocardial cells, leading to myocardial cell hypertrophy and interstitial fibrosis, causing changes in the patient's heart morphology.

If you want to prevent the occurrence of cardiovascular disease, you must pay attention to actively controlling your blood pressure and combine it with lifestyle intervention to improve it.

The heart is the power source of the human body. The normal operation of all tissues and organs in the body is inseparable from the heart's blood pumping function, but it is also one of the organs most easily "injured", causing heart diseases such as coronary heart disease, heart failure, arrhythmia, and myocardial ischemia.

Cardiovascular disease remains the most common cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, accounting for approximately one-third of deaths each year.

There are many reasons for being "sad" , from smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity to air pollution, all of which threaten the heart health of the entire population.

So, how can we prevent cardiovascular disease and protect heart health?

Professor Hu Dayi, a famous Chinese cardiologist, has summarized the "heart health code" - 140-6-543-0-268. Please remember this string of numbers and keep it in mind .

Remember these 5 numbers to keep your heart healthier

1

140: blood pressure standard value

To protect the heart, systolic blood pressure must be lowered to below 140 mmHg .

Because long-term high blood pressure or long-term poor blood pressure control can lead to left ventricular hypertrophy, which can lead to decreased left ventricular function and left heart failure, which is called hypertensive heart disease or heart failure.

Patients will experience decreased cardiac output, leading to a series of clinical symptoms such as dyspnea, fatigue, and renal impairment.

In addition, long-term hypertension can easily lead to myocardial infarction, coronary atherosclerosis, myocardial ischemia, etc.

Especially for the elderly over 50 years old, blood pressure should be strictly controlled. However, many patients are afraid of feeling uncomfortable after low blood pressure and dare not lower their blood pressure. However, in fact, for every 4 mmHg reduction in blood pressure, the risk of coronary heart disease can be reduced by 15% and the risk of stroke can be reduced by 23%.

2

6: Blood sugar target value

It is recommended to lower fasting blood sugar to below 6 mmol/L .

Diabetes is an equal risk disease to coronary heart disease . If the patient has high blood sugar for a long time, it may cause certain damage to the inner wall of the blood vessels, leading to vascular sclerosis and vascular plaque formation, thus causing atherosclerosis.

If not treated in time, atherosclerosis will gradually worsen, which may lead to coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, heart failure and other symptoms, endangering heart health.

Studies have shown that the risk of myocardial infarction within 10 years in patients with diabetes is the same as the risk of recurrent myocardial infarction in patients with coronary heart disease, both at 20%.

3

543: blood lipid standard value

High cholesterol can easily increase blood viscosity, lead to coronary atherosclerosis, and even cause coronary heart diseases such as myocardial infarction.

In normal times, you should control the intake of high-cholesterol foods. For low-risk groups, total cholesterol should be below 5 mmol/L . If there is one risk factor, such as diabetes or coronary heart disease, total cholesterol should be reduced to below 4 mmol/L . For high-risk groups, that is, those with multiple risk factors, such as both diabetes and coronary heart disease, total cholesterol must be controlled above 3 mmol/L .

4

0: Zero smoking rate

Smoking is harmful to heart health . The nicotine in cigarettes can cause blood vessels to constrict, increase the cholesterol level in the blood, and accelerate atherosclerosis of the arteries.

In addition, smoke contains a variety of harmful substances, which will be absorbed into the blood along with the gas exchange in the pulmonary vascular network, causing damage to the vascular endothelium, leading to the occurrence and development of atherosclerosis, thereby causing severe stenosis of the arteries and affecting the blood supply to the heart and other organs.

5

268: Waist circumference

It is recommended that Chinese men keep waist circumference below 2.8 feet, and women should keep it below 2.6 feet.

Studies have shown that waist size is a reflection of visceral fat accumulation; the larger the waist, the greater the risk to the heart.

Abdominal obesity can have an adverse effect on blood pressure, blood sugar, and blood lipid control, and can also easily lead to insulin resistance.

In addition, a study by Oxford University showed that having a thick waist circumference increases the risk of heart failure . For every 1 cm increase in the normal waist circumference of the participants, the likelihood of being hospitalized for heart failure increases by 4% .

That is to say, someone with a waist circumference of 104 cm is nearly 40% more likely to suffer from heart failure than someone with a waist circumference of 94 cm.

Therefore, both men and women should pay close attention to changes in their waist circumference. If you find that the waist of the pants you wear has become tighter, or that the pants you used to be able to wear can no longer fit into your body, you should be alert.

How can different groups of people protect their heart health?

01

Elderly: Stabilize blood pressure and reduce myocardial infarction

Data shows that the incidence of hypertension in China's population over 65 years old is as high as 55%, and the prevalence of hypertension in people over 80 years old is close to 90% .

Experts recommend that the elderly should regularly monitor their blood pressure, blood lipids, and blood sugar levels , and use antihypertensive drugs appropriately based on the circadian rhythm of their blood pressure to avoid excessive fluctuations in blood pressure.

In terms of diet, you should eat less oil and salt, eat more fruits and vegetables, and control your daily salt intake to less than 5g .

Doing aerobic exercise 2 to 3 times a week can help strengthen heart function and reduce vascular embolism.

In life, we should avoid factors that cause abnormal blood pressure, such as extreme joy or sorrow, staying up late, and excessive fatigue .

When there is a large temperature difference between indoors and outdoors, you should reduce going out and wear a hat and scarf when going out in winter .

Avoid sudden and large twisting and stretching movements of the upper body , and move slowly when getting up, going to the toilet, or standing up from the sofa.

02

Children: Control your diet and control blood lipids

Experts say that in recent years, the biggest threat to children's heart health is chronic disease . The results of students' physical examinations show that risk factors such as dyslipidemia, overweight, obesity and fatty liver rank high .

At present, the incidence of abnormal glucose metabolism in obese children in China has reached 28.26% , nearly 30% suffer from hypertension, and more than half have abnormal blood lipids.

Data from the Capital Institute of Pediatrics show that in 2017, the detection rate of hypercholesterolemia among children and adolescents in Beijing was 5%, nearly three times the rate in 2004.

Experts say that many children nowadays have poor eating habits. They like to eat high-fat, high-protein, sweet foods and do not like to eat fruits and vegetables. Coupled with the lack of exercise, they may be affected by the "three highs" at a young age .

It is recommended that parents should take their children for regular physical examinations, start measuring blood pressure at the age of 3, and check blood lipids at the age of 9 to 11. Obese children should be monitored for abnormal blood lipids .

At the same time, children should develop healthy eating habits, reduce the intake of saturated fatty acids and sugars, eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, especially cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli and cabbage, and supplement with adequate vitamins and minerals.

03

Men: Reduce stress and prevent sudden death

The study found that the lifetime risk of sudden death for 45-year-old men is 10.9%, 3.3 times that of women .

That is to say, among people over 45 years old, one in every nine men will suffer sudden death .

Why are the hearts of middle-aged men so fragile? Experts say that men face more risk factors that are not conducive to heart health.

Compared with women, they consume more high-fat foods, are more likely to have bad habits such as smoking, drinking, and staying up late, and are under greater stress.

Experts remind that maintaining good living habits can not only reduce the occurrence of cardiovascular disease, but also is the best way to prevent sudden death.

It is recommended to eat less salty, pickled and fried foods, eat more vegetables and whole grains, eat meat in moderation, and do not eat too cold food to avoid coronary artery spasm; tobacco and alcohol are independent risk factors for cardiovascular disease and should be avoided as much as possible; maintaining moderate to low-intensity exercise has the strongest benefits for cardiovascular protection, jogging, swimming, yoga, etc. are all good choices; try to work overtime and stay up late as little as possible, and pay attention to the combination of work and rest; have a regular work and rest schedule, and keep a good mood; have regular physical examinations, and a routine electrocardiogram can detect potential signs of sudden death, especially for those with a history of cardiovascular disease, who should do a good job of prevention.

04

Women: Good mood, no heartbreak

People often think that heart disease likes to "bully" men the most, but the reality is that the consequences of heart disease in women are more serious .

Experts say that the symptoms of female patients are hidden and atypical, and are not easy to attract attention, thus easily delaying the best time for rescue.

Because estrogen has a certain protective effect on women , there is a clear difference in the incidence of heart attacks between men and women around the age of 50. That is, men mainly experience it before the age of 50, while women experience it more after the age of 50 .

Women enter menopause after the age of 50. As estrogen levels drop, the protective effect will be significantly weakened, and the incidence of coronary heart disease will begin to rise, even catching up with men.

In addition, women are relatively emotional, and negative emotions can increase women's risk of heart disease by 2 times .

Continuous stress, anxiety and depression can cause high blood pressure and damage the heart and blood vessels.

From a clinical perspective, women are more susceptible to emotional influences after suffering from cardiovascular disease, and their risk of cardiovascular events and death due to mental factors such as depression and anxiety is much higher than that of men.

Experts remind that women after menopause have lost their "protective umbrella" and should pay more attention to protecting their hearts. They should pay attention to a balanced diet and exercise moderately. When they have negative emotions, remember to talk to friends and family, or shift their attention to things they like to effectively relieve bad moods. Women with a family history of heart disease should have regular physical examinations to ensure early detection and early treatment.

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[5] Li Chao. Six tips for maintaining heart health[J]. Family Medicine (Happy Health) 2022, 6:89.