Living a life without caring for “health” can lead to many “diseases” , especially diseases caused by lifestyle behaviors such as poor eating and sleeping habits, and insufficient exercise. The risk of developing various “chronic diseases” increases, including hypertension, high blood cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, and kidney disease, all of which result in prolonged medication use and treatment.
If you already have these diseases but still do not take care of your health or change your behavior to be healthier, the “heart disease” waiting in line may come sooner.
Chronic diseases, causes of heart disease… what should be cautious about?
- Hypertension
Hypertension is a disease caused by lifestyle behaviors, including consuming high-fat foods, very salty foods, regularly drinking alcohol, and heavy smoking, which severely harm the body. It can also lead to complications such as “heart disease” because abnormal blood pressure causes the heart to enlarge, coronary arteries to thicken and harden, making the heart work harder than usual. The heart must pump blood more forcefully to supply the entire body. Patients may experience chest pain from ischemic heart disease, and if not treated properly and promptly, it can lead to heart enlargement and heart failure.
- High blood cholesterol
This is another disease caused by consuming high-fat foods, especially trans fats found in cakes, bakery products, cheese, fatty meats, coconut milk curry, and grilled foods. When the body accumulates too much bad fat, it clings to the blood vessel walls, causing narrowing or blockage. Blood circulation is impaired, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, leading to ischemic heart muscle or acute myocardial infarction.
- Diabetes
Diabetic patients often have vascular abnormalities faster than others because high sugar levels cause degeneration of arterial walls throughout the body. The blood vessels supplying the heart muscle become inflamed and may rupture, causing sudden blood clots. This results in diabetic patients having a higher chance of coronary artery disease than other patients.
- Obesity
Obesity is having excessive body weight from fat accumulation, leading to many heart-related diseases such as hypertension, high blood sugar, and high blood cholesterol, all of which are risk factors for coronary artery disease. This causes thickening of blood vessel walls, narrowing of arteries, and blockages, which are dangerous to heart function and can cause sudden death. - Kidney disease
When the “kidneys” cannot eliminate waste and toxins from the body, waste accumulates, causing abnormal heart function. Chronic kidney disease patients have a high risk of cardiovascular disease, and many deaths among kidney disease patients are due to heart and vascular diseases.
Although “chronic diseases” cannot be completely cured, if you change your lifestyle by choosing to eat nutritious food that is not oily, sweet, salty, or strongly flavored, exercise regularly, get enough rest, and take medication as prescribed, you can control the severity of chronic diseases. This also reduces the chance of developing “heart disease”.
Overcoming yourself by committing to health care will restore your “body” and give you a strong “heart.”
Dr. Chayut Cheewapruk
Cardiologist
Heart Center, Phyathai Nawamin Hospital
