London Drugs

Focus On Health

School Allergy Program

Cancer

Arthritis

Specialized Health Supplements

Help for your sick child

Vaccinations

#2 Taking Action

Clearing A Stuffy Nose

Childhood Vaccines

Emergency Preparedness

COPD

#1 Taking Stock

Goodbye to Wrinkles & Age Spots

Fighting Dry Winter Skin

Heart Disease

The Misery Of Winter ills

Winning at Weight Control

Diabetes

Preventing Childhood Coughs & Colds

Promoting A Restful Sleep

Disaster Insurance

Your Community Pharmacists

The Importance of Fibre

Osteoporosis

Vaccinations Through Life

Heart Disease

Heart Disease

What it is: Heart disease is an umbrella term for a number of conditions that affect the cardiovascular system. They are generally caused by a buildup of plaque in the arteries, stifling the flow of blood. When the arteries are occluded, angina (pain) may occur. If clots of plaque break away from the arterial walls, they can cause complete blockage leading to a heart attack. If an artery within the brain is blocked, stroke may follow. High blood pressure can double or even triple the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Inherited risk factors: A tendency toward the development of arterial plaque appears to be hereditary. If one or both of your parents have a form of heart disease, you will be more likely to develop it too. Race is also a factor. People of African descent have higher risk of developing high blood pressure, making their risk of heart disease and stroke greater. A family history of diabetes, gout or elevated blood cholesterol also increases the risk of heart disease. Although men are more likely to develop heart disease, women are fast catching up, particularly post-menopausal women, whose risk is greatly increased when levels of protective estrogen wane.

Lifestyle factors: Although there is a genetic disposition towards heart disease, better lifestyle habits can help reduce your personal risk. Living a healthy lifestyle will also help reduce the likelihood of heart attack when you don’t have inherited risk factors. Here are the primary lifestyle factors contributing towards heart disease:

• Smoking • High LDL, or "bad" cholesterol and low HDL, or "good" cholesterol • Elevated blood pressure • Physical inactivity • Being obese (more than 20 percent over your ideal body weight) • Uncontrolled diabetes • Uncontrolled stress and anger.

Preventive measures: A number of measures will help reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke:

• If you smoke, quit now (see pages 6 - 7) Smoking is the leading risk factor for heart disease. • Improve cholesterol levels. A diet low in cholesterol, saturated fats and trans fats, and high in soluble and insoluble fibre will help lower cholesterol levels and reduce your risk for heart disease. • Build more activity into your life. This also helps address weight issues.

• Find ways to manage stress such as regular walks, yoga or meditation. • Make sure your blood pressure is tested regularly and controlled effectively.

• Consider the use of CoQ10, which has been shown to improve the health of the heart (be sure to take a minimum 100 mg daily). • Attend a London Drugs Heart Health Clinic, to be held in April of this year.

For dates and details, please see our website: www.londondrugs.com.