Promoting ‘Heart Health’ was the key theme for the Cardiac Rehabilitation Team who marked Cardiac Rehabilitation Awareness Week at Lagan Valley Hospital. The team offered healthy lifestyle advice to staff and members of the public along with blood pressure and BMI checks to help improve heart health.
The specialist team are dedicated to providing help and support to cardiac patients who are working towards recovery following a cardiac diagnosis, a cardiac event such as a heart attack, heart failure, bypass/value surgery or coronary artery stenting.
Monitoring BMI is essential, as being overweight can increase the risk of developing many health issues including cardiovascular disease. A BMI of 18.5 – 25 is considered healthy, however consideration needs to be taken into account when measuring BMI particularly in pregnancy, those with increased muscle or very elderly people.
The team also discussed tips and advice on ways to reduce the risk of developing heart problems, such as adding more physical exercise to your day, eating healthier and lowering cholesterol levels. They also addressed cardiovascular risk factors which can contribute to poor heart health, in particular some existing heart conditions that potentially increase a person’s chances of developing cardiovascular disease.
Blood pressure checks are vitally important to highlight high blood pressure (hypertension) that can be a major, but largely preventable risk factor in developing heart problems. Most people do not have physical signs and symptoms of high blood pressure, however having regular check-ups with a medical practitioner is important for early detection and prevention.
Cardiac Rehab Specialist Nurse, Luna Cousins commented on the success of the day and said, “It was a great opportunity to meet with staff and members of the public to offer these simple checks and for them to have the chance to speak to us on ways to lead a healthier lifestyle. We just want to remind staff to pause for a minute from their busy schedules and think about their heart health.