The World Health Organization reminds us that cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide. 

This past Sunday marked European Cardiovascular Risk Prevention Day, whose objective is to raise awareness among the population about the importance of preventing and controlling cardiovascular risk factors.

It is important to understand how we can influence the risk factors involved, such as smoking, sedentary lifestyle, poor diet, obesity, hypertension, and stress, among others . The World Health Organization (WHO) reminds us that cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide and that these premature deaths could be prevented by adopting a healthy lifestyle that reduces the aforementioned risk factors.

According to Dr. Roberto Martín Reyes, head of the Clinical and Interventional Cardiology service at the La Luz Hospital in Madrid, the health of each person is highly conditioned by their lifestyle and therefore it is important to raise awareness in society so that they follow a healthy lifestyle. of healthy living. "It is essential to know that these diseases can be avoided by reducing and eliminating modifiable risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure, hypercholesterolemia, obesity, sedentary lifestyle or stress."

To reduce the risk of suffering from cardiovascular disease, this expert recommends avoiding tobacco use, including passive smoking. Maintain a healthy and balanced diet, based on the Mediterranean diet, limiting salt consumption as much as possible, avoiding obesity and overweight (when the abdominal perimeter measurement is greater than 88 cm in women and 102 cm in men, It is considered that there is an increased cardiovascular risk). “Develop daily physical activity (at least walking, at a good pace, for 30 minutes a day), control blood pressure levels (below 140/90 mm Hg), as well as control blood glucose levels ( "The blood glucose level is considered normal when it is less than 100 mg/dl on an empty stomach; between 100 mg/dl and 126 mg/dl and above this figure, the doctor will propose the action to follow to rule out diabetes," underlines Martín Reyes.

Likewise, it is advisable to control cholesterol levels. “The criterion of normality is to maintain the total cholesterol level below 200 mg/dl. In case of alterations, the instructions given by the doctor in each case must be strictly followed." Indicates the cardiologist.

La Luz Hospital carries out personalized cardiovascular prevention, focused on the patient, with the support of new technologies, "such as the use of its own computer applications, which make it possible for the patient to get involved in the control of "These cardiovascular risk factors, with the aim of reducing the incidence of cardiovascular disease," says Roberto Martin Reyes.