Afya Kenya Foundation

Coronary Heart Disease.

Posted on 31. May, 2010 by afyakenya in Blog

RISK FACTORS

• Age (older than 40 years for men, 45 years for women)
• Male sex• Family history of coronary heart disease
• Smoking
• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Unhealthy cholesterol levels—high total cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, high LDL cholesterol, high triglycerides
• Low physical activity
• Accumulation of abdominal fat (“apple” body shape)

MAKE CHANGES FOR A HEART-HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

Small changes each day can add up to a much healthier life and decreased risk of developing coronary heart disease. Even losing 10% of excess body weight can dramatically lower heart disease risk.

Taking walk breaks at work, scheduling appointments for exercise, exercising with a friend or family member, actively playing with your pet or children, and taking the stairs instead of the elevator are all small steps to improve overall fitness. Get 30 minutes of physical activity most days of the week and 2 days of strength and flexibility training per week.

Involving your spouse or partner and family can improve success rate of lifestyle changes and make everybody healthier at the same time. Adding whole-grain foods to your diet can easily be done without sacrificing taste: use red meats sparingly, eat white meat from chicken or fish in small portions (4 ounces), add nuts, and avoid processed foods, while eating at least 5 servings of fruit and vegetables each day.

Regards,
Oduwo Noah Akala
Chairman,
Afya Kenya Foundation.
n.oduwo@afyakenyafoundation.org