Introduction
The rate of deaths connected to cardiovascular diseases (CVD) is exceptionally high. According to the World Health Organization (2017), CVD accounts for more than 30 percent of all deaths that happened in 2005. Thus, the prevention of these diseases from developing should be considered one of the essential activities of all medical professionals. Many risk factors can be associated with the development of CVD. This paper aims to outline and discuss three risk factors that may lead to one having CVD and explore the ways to prevent these diseases from appearing by creating an educational plan for patients.
Risk Factors
Several risk factors can be linked to CVD development. Some of these factors are connected to one’s habits, while others are mostly correlated with people’s predispositions and other illnesses. First of all, tobacco use is considered to be one of the main risk factors that may lead to many health-related issues, including CVD (British Heart Foundation, 2017). Smoking can affect one’s health and heart condition in multiple ways. First of all, the use of tobacco damages one’s arteries, which leads to them becoming narrow and unstable. Secondly, tobacco smoke reduces the amount of oxygen in one’s bloodstream, which makes the heart exhaust itself to supply the organs with necessary oxygen (Yaffe et al., 2014). Finally, cigarettes have nicotine, which produces adrenaline in the body of a smoker. Higher levels of adrenaline make the heartbeat at faster rates, exhausting it, and raising one’s blood pressure.
The second risk factor involves unhealthy dieting habits. This factor can include many aspects. For example, some individuals may choose to eat foods with high levels of saturated fat (British Heart Foundation, 2017). This type of diet causes an individual to have an increased level of cholesterol in his or her blood. Moreover, such habits as eating sugary foods, drinking large amounts of alcohol, failing to include enough fruits, vegetables, and grains in the diet, and consuming high quantities of salt are also unhealthy and can put one at risk of developing CVD.
Finally, the lack of physical activity is another risk factor for CVD development. This aspect is interconnected with others as it usually complements one’s poor diet or heart health concerns (Lavie et al., 2015). Increased levels of fat that are not burned during any physical activity along with failure to exercise one’s heart muscles may lead to an individual developing CVD.
Educational Plan
Primary prevention deals with creating an educational plan that will allow patients to avoid CVD from developing in the first place. Thus, it is not connected to finding any symptoms of this condition. Patients should consider several practices to keep their heart and cardiovascular system healthy. The issue of having an unhealthy diet can be discussed with patients to find a suitable plan for every individual. Patients should try to avoid various foods that are high in saturated fat and sugar (World Health Organization, 2017). Moreover, they should include vegetables, fruits, and grains in their diet to increase their fiber consumption. High alcohol intake is also dangerous for one’s cardiovascular system as alcohol often contains sugar. Moreover, alcohol may also be high in calories (British Heart Foundation, 2017). Healthy eating should consist of various types of foods that are high in nutrients.
Conclusion
Many risk factors can induce one’s process of CVD development. Thus, it is crucial to implement preventative measures to avoid the symptoms of this issue from occurring. Healthy eating and exercise can help people to stay healthy for a longer time.
References
British Heart Foundation. (2017). Risk factors for heart disease. Web.
Lavie, C. J., Arena, R., Swift, D. L., Johannsen, N. M., Sui, X., Lee, D. C.,… Blair, S. N. (2015). Exercise and the cardiovascular system. Circulation Research, 117(2), 207-219.
World Health Organization. (2017). Prevention of cardiovascular disease. Web.
Yaffe, K., Vittinghoff, E., Pletcher, M. J., Hoang, T., Launer, L., Whitmer, R.,… Sidney, S. (2014). Early adult to mid-life cardiovascular risk factors and cognitive function. Circulation, 129(15), 1560-1567.