Healthcare Innovations • Sunday 26 July 2020


Specialist clinics • 35


How healthy is your heart?


Te heart and blood vessels form a vital system, with a vast number of functions such as the supply of oxygen and nutrients, and the removal of waste products. Te heart acts as a pump to circulate blood throughout this intricate network of vessels, keeping every cell in the human body nourished and replenished. Te heart is the most physically


active organ in the body, beating tire- lessly during life. Each heartbeat, occurring on average once every second or so at rest, is the culmina- tion of a highly orchestrated set of microscopic electrical and mechan- ical events. When there’s disruption to this intricate system, the conse- quences may be fatal. For this reason, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death globally, responsible for the loss of around 17.9 million lives a year. One of the major risk factors for


CVD is hypertension, an abnormally raised blood pressure. Te develop- ment of hypertension participates in a vicious cycle: stress and strain forces on blood vessels, sometimes coupled with elevated levels of cholesterol in the body, give rise to the formation of plaque build-up inside the wall of the vessels, causing them to narrow, and possibly completely occlude to cause a heart attack. Dietary measures and medications help to lower the blood pressure by relaxing and widening the vessels, thereby permit- ting the blood to flow more freely to all parts of the body. Another highly prevalent heart


condition is atrial fibrillation (AF), a condition in which abnormal firing of impulses in the heart’s upper cham- bers (the atria) causes an irregular and inefficient beating of the heart.


AF can cause clots to form inside the heart due to pooling of blood during the inefficient heart beats, resulting in a stroke. Specific blood-thinning medications, called anticoagulants, can effectively reduce the formation of clots and the risk of stroke. Another serious consequence of


AF is weakening of the heart muscle, known as heart failure. While medica- tions may reduce the episodes of AF, in selected cases, one of the best forms of treatment is ablation therapy; this is a relatively small operation on the heart, achieved by passing fine wires into the blood vessels at the top of the leg and advancing them into the heart. It is important to seek advice early from a cardiologist who special- ises in such therapy. Commonly, obesity is associated hypertension and AF.


with CVD,


Obesity is a prevalent disorder in the UK, impacting around one in four adults, and is defined as a body mass index of greater than 30kg/square metre. A healthy diet can improve heart conditions by reducing bodyweight in addition to lowering cholesterol, salts and sugars — all of which may increase blood pressure and reduce the effi- ciency of the cardiovascular system. Statins can be used in conjunc-


tion with a healthy diet to further reduce cholesterol levels. Swapping ready-made meals (often high in salt) for home-cooked meals, replacing refined grains with whole grains, and eating fresh fruit and vegeta- bles rather than products with added sugar are changes that can strengthen the cardiovascular system and bolster defence against heart diseases. “Prevention is better than cure,” but


when cure becomes necessary, seek an early opinion from a cardiologist.


Private practice: BUPA Cromwell, London Harley Street Clinic, London St George’s Hospital, London Spire St Anthony’s Hospital, Cheam BMI The Runnymede Hospital, Chertsey Nuffield Health Woking Hospital, Woking


Dr Riyaz A Kaba, consultant in cardiology and honorary senior lecturer, All Chambers Ltd


For private appointments:


T: 07516 004491 E: riyazkaba@gmail.com


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