Heart failure is a serious medical problem that affects more and more people, and it does not avoid younger individuals either. The activity of the heart is impaired to such an extent that the organ cannot ensure the supply of oxygen and other nutrients to the entire body. The greatest risk of this disease is its inconspicuous development, manifested at first glance by banal symptoms. How are you, our readers, doing with heart failure?
Diet and exercise are neglected by the majority People
It probably won’t surprise anyone that smoking, which is behind a number of other diseases, is also one of the main causes of the development of heart failure, which is why one of the questions was directed at it. Slightly more than half of the respondents were non-smokers, 20% were ex-smokers and the rest of the interviewees were smokers, although a small part of them described themselves as only occasional smokers.
We were also interested in physical activity. Only 11% of respondents do sports regularly, 14% do not do sports at all, 40% exercise only occasionally, and 34% of respondents at least monitor the number of steps.
We also asked about eating habits. Half of the respondents significantly neglect their diet or do not take care of it at all. The other half try to eat healthy, although they occasionally sin. Only less than 3% of the respondents eat a fundamentally healthy diet.
Other cause of heart failure
One of the questions dealt with long-term illnesses. Specifically, we were interested in high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, obesity and high cholesterol.
The results show that almost 40% of the participants are being treated for high blood pressure, less than 30% for high cholesterol and similarly less than 30% suffer from obesity. Only 8% of respondents are being treated for type 2 diabetes.
The choice of these diseases was not random, as it is the deadly quartet of heart failure . The problem lies in the fact that the individual components reinforce each other, creating a vicious circle that subsequently affects not only the health of our heart.
Let’s not ignore the warning signs
We recorded very interesting results in the second part of the survey. We asked about some symptoms that can signal heart failure.
Specifically, it is shortness of breath at rest or during exertion. Surprisingly, more than half of the respondents observe this symptom in themselves.
Even more respondents, almost 74%, reported increased fatigue .
For less than 50% of respondents, regular physical activities are difficult .
Around 45% of those interviewed observe an accelerated pulse and also more frequent urination .
Less than a third of respondents suffer from swelling of the abdomen, lower limbs or ankles.
A fifth of those interviewed experienced sudden weight gain or loss of appetite .
For a short suggestion on how to benefit your heart, see the article Avoid Bad Habits That Threaten Your Heart .
Unlike a heart attack, heart failure tends to be a gradual process. The heart stops working as it should, with which comes the above-mentioned symptoms of the disease. The patient often does not associate the problems with a possible heart disease, on the contrary, they attribute them to age, lifestyle or the current period. However, it must be remembered that heart failure is a disease that can radically limit and shorten our life. Therefore, in case of any suspicion, it is necessary to seek medical help. Timely initiation of treatment and its strict adherence is the only chance to get the disease under control.
