Today we celebrate World Heart Day, although more than a celebration it is a date that we mark to force us to be aware of the importance of this organ and the need to change our habits and routines to extend its life. And ours.
To this end, we have spoken with one of the most prominent cardiologists at national and international level, Dr. Prof. M.A. García Fernández. Doctor Cum Laude with nearly 35 years of professional practice, he is a Professor at the Complutense University and the Spanish author with the most written books dedicated to Cardiology with translations into English, Italian and Russian. In addition, he is the President of the Spanish Society of Cardiac Imaging, and one of only 4 international cardiologists named by the European Society of Cardiology as a legend of Cardiology (Vienna 2014).
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According to the recent report just published by the National Statistics Institute (INE) on the causes of death in Spain in 2014, cardiovascular disease continues to be the first, representing almost 30% of all deaths (the most common being ischemic heart disease), ahead of any cancer (27%) and diseases of the respiratory system (11.08%).
More than 75% of deaths due to cardiovascular disease could be avoided with adequate prevention, acquiring healthy habits that are within our reach:
- Mediterranean diet; it is perfect. We should include in our diet vegetables, fruits, a little bit of nuts and olive oil. In fact, according to a paper published by the New England Journal of Medicine in February 2013 (PREDIMED), daily intake of extra virgin olive oil reduces mortality.
- Sport: any exercise is good, and yes, walking has the same benefits as the famous running, as long as it is done at a brisk pace. Dr. Prof. M.A. García Fernández explains that it is advisable to do about 150 minutes a week, spread over 4 days (about 40-50 minutes a day).
- Controlling hypertension
- Control cholesterol
- Quitting bad habits such as smoking
Thus, controlling the leading cause of death in Spain is in our hands.
So why don’t we take care of our heart?
According to Dr. Prof. M.A. García Fernández, a renowned international cardiologist, we are at a point where people do not react because the message is so repetitive that in the end it is lost. Even so, mortality due to cardiovascular pathologies has been reduced. What must be avoided at all costs, says the specialist, is childhood obesity and the horrible diet we have.
Likewise, according to the Professor of the Department of Medicine at the Complutense University of Madrid, the key lies in childhood. If we learned from an early age the importance of taking care of our habits, things would be very different. Especially at school, that is where the right message should be born. There is a lack of a subject that begins to address from an early age how we can avoid diseases that affect us (not so) older.