WIREDGOV

A cardiologist in Canada has claimed people can expect to live an additional 40 or 50 years after the age of 50 if they follow seven simple steps.

Dr Clyde Yancy, a lecturer at the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, says people can achieve optimal health by:

• Getting active
• Knowing and controlling cholesterol levels
• Following a healthy diet
• Knowing and controlling blood pressure
• Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight
• Managing diabetes
• Giving up smoking

He says health prevention strategies focusing on those areas would save the Canadian economy billions of dollars in health costs by preventing heart disease and strokes.

Amy Thompson, our Senior Cardiac Nurse said: “Dr Yancy’s simple suggestions aren’t rocket science but he’s right to say they could make a huge and immediate difference to the heart health of many, many people.

“Here in the UK, heart and circulatory disease costs the economy £30billion every year. There is no doubt we could make a huge dent in that figure if more of us were physically active for at least 30 minutes on five or more days a week; ate a healthy, balanced diet; maintained a healthy weight; and gave up smoking. Cholesterol levels and diabetes must also be carefully managed and everyone should make an effort to know their numbers when it comes to blood pressure.

“Each of us can help lessen the national burden of heart disease by choosing a healthier lifestyle, but our governments must also do all they can to help individuals make those choices which will save lives and money.”