Medcal RISK CHD
What do your results mean (the colour text are links to further advice)
Blood pressure. A healthy blood pressure should be below 140/90. Blood pressure can be lowered by reducing weight,increasing fitness,lowering your salt intake,decreasing stress and by medication.
Weight. A body mass of greater than 27 increases your risk of heart disease. A good diet can help you lose weight and will also give some protection to your heart. Exercise and fitness can help you lose weight. In a few cases medication may help.
Alcohol intake of more than 21 units per week in men and 14 units a week in women, increases the risk of heart disease. Reducing consumption will help.
Salt intake should be less than 5 gms per day. Processed food often contains a lot of salt. Adding salt to food is rarely necessary.
Smoking. Smoking is one of the major risk factors for premature heart disease (and many other diseases). Stopping can often do more to reduce your risk of heart disease than any other single action you could take.
Cholesterol. High cholesterol leads to the deposit of fat (cholesterol) patches in your arteries. These can lead to stroke, heart attacks and arterial disease. Diet and drugs can help reduce the speed at which this occurs and can sometimes even reverse the effect.
Exercise. Lack of exercise leads to an increase in the rate at which heart disease develops as well as making you more likely to gain weight. Increasing exercise in your life appears to have significant effects in protecting you from heart disease. The mechanisms are still being investigated.
Stress. Stress in itself does not cause heart attacks but it does appear to increase the rate at which the other factors develop, and may lead to acute heart problems by giving the heart more work to do, and by increasing blood pressure.
