Cardiovascular Disease Prevention
What is Cardiovascular Disease?
Cardiovascular diseases affect the heart or blood vessels. They are not common in children or young people, but it's really important for children and young people to stay as healthy as possible to help reduce the risk of getting these problems as they get older.
Cardiovascular diseases include disorders passed on in the family and conditions that develop over time like heart disease, atrial fibrillation, heart failure, and stroke.
Cardiovascular diseases are one of the main causes of death and disability in the UK, but can often largely be prevented by leading a healthy lifestyle.
For more information about cardiovascular disease visit the NHS website
If you're aged 40 to 74 and do not have a pre-existing health condition, you should be invited to an NHS Health Check by your GP or local council every 5 years. You will be offered a cholesterol blood test and blood pressure check as part of this.
If you are younger than 40, following the cardiovascular disease prevention information for you and your family will help reduce your risk of getting this later in life.
The Good News: You Can Take Control and help prevent Cardiovascular Disease
By making healthy lifestyle changes, you can improve your health. Here's how to get started.
- Eat a balanced diet: Focus on heart-healthy foods.
- Find tips for eating healthily on our local Healthier Together page or the NHS Website.
- Stay Active: Regular exercise can significantly reduce your risk.
- Find tips on exercising on our local Healthier Together page or the NHS Website.
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Quit smoking: Smoking is one of the leading causes of heart disease
- The NHS website has more information on how to stop smoking.
- Manage stress: Practice stress-relieving techniques to support heart health.
- The NHS Website has some tips on managing stress.
- Cut back on drinking alcohol
- The NHS website has tips on how to drink less and how to work out how many alcohol units you are drinking.
Further Resources
- British Heart Foundation’s Heart Start Program: Offers free emergency life support training and resources to help improve heart health in schools and communities.
- Heart Health Resources: Access leaflets on Healthy Eating and Be Active to share with parents, teachers, and healthcare professionals.
- Heart conditions in Young People: A lot of people with heart conditions feel overwhelmed by all the medical details and sometimes it feels easier to avoid thinking about it. But the more you know about your life and your health, the more control you have.
- Diet and Nutrition for Young People with coronary heart disease: Eating healthily is a good way to look after yourself, which is extra important when you have a heart condition.