Lifestyle diseases

High Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a fatty substance which some of it is vital for the normal functioning of the body, but excessive high cholesterol can affect the health and cause risks of heart attacks and stoke. Cholesterol is mainly made the by liver from the foods that we eat, so your liver produces the cholesterol your body needs.

Cholesterol levels are influenced by the types of food you eat, some which are good for you which help reduce the levels of cholesterol in your blood and provide the body with fatty acids enabling the body to function such as unsaturated fats. These are found in plant based foods – oily fish, avocadoes, nuts and vegetable, sunflower, olive oil.

Saturated fats are found in meat, cheese, butter, cream, cakes, chocolate, coconut oil and pastries. These fats are what cause your cholesterol levels to rise and impacts on heart disease and stroke.

High cholesterol can be controlled by your diet by eating low saturated fats reducing bad cholesterol and avoiding foods which are rich in saturated fats.

 In today’s statistics it shows that UK is one of the highest populations with high cholesterol in the world this is up to half a million people and up to 1 in a 100 with high cholesterol. In America it estimates up to 70% of over 20’s suffer from high cholesterol. UK have estimated that by 2020 heart disease will be a leading case of disablement. Those who are aware of it can maintain and control this in their diet and lifestyle.

High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure (hypertension) occurs when the blood is forced at high pressure through the arteries. This depends on how powerfully the heart pumps blood around the body and how narrow or relaxed your arteries are. Therefore in high blood pressure your heart has to work harder than usual to pump blood around the body and within time this weakens the heart. This can cause coronary heart diseases, strokes, heart failures and heart attracts.

There are two main causes of this disease, one which is related to your diet and the intake of salt within your diet, a family history, lack of exercise, obesity and smoking. The second causes are kidney conditions, narrowing of the arteries, medications (contraceptive pills, anti-inflammatory drugs).

 Approximately 10 million people in the UK are suffering from high blood pressure which is 1 in 5 of us. America has a vast amount of people around 75 million from the age of 20 plus this is 1 in 3 as compared to UK which is 1 in 5. High blood pressure increase with age, in England half of the people over the age of 75 have this disease. Figures shows in United States 70% of people suffer from heart attack, 74% with stroke and heart failure. UK high blood pressure affects millions of people responsible for stokes and heart attacks.

Diabetes Type II

Diabetes type II is when your body doesn’t have enough insulin for it to function or when the cells in your body don’t react to insulin (insulin resistance). There is also type I diabetes but type II is becoming more common. Heart attacks, stokes, kidney/ nerve damage, foot and eye problems can occur in the long term if the glucose levels are higher than normal for a long time. Glucose levels are checked often so that they are under control.

Having type II diabetes and avoiding any complications means eating healthy again high in fibre, low in fat, salt and sugar. Regular exercise reduces the risk of having heart attacks or strokes, as well as exercise if you are overweight it causes your blood glucose levels to increase. So losing weight will help reduce this. With diabetes if you have high blood pressure it is a high risk for other complications therefore keeping it under control is crucial (see high blood pressure).

Diabetes type II mainly occurs in people over the age of 40 but can also occur in the younger generation, which is now becoming quite common. This is increasing in the UK as it’s widespread if you are overweight or obese. It shows that 1 in 20 people in the UK over the age of 65 and 1 in 5 over 85 have this illness. In America millions are diagnosed with type II diabetes, this is 26 million people of all ages in the U.S. This is more common for people from South Asian and African-Caribbean backgrounds.

Cancer

There are over 200 different types of cancer. Cancer is a condition where the body’s normal cells start to grow in an uncontrolled way. This growth causes a lump which then starts causing problems. Such as cells; they attack and destroy the healthy tissues in the body including organs. Spreading to other parts of the body and causing pressure to the body.

There are many factors which can cause cancer this includes the environment that you are in everyday such as tobacco smoke, sun, radiation, work place (hazards in use of chemicals). Other factors include your age, genetic make-up, bodyweight, diet and physical activity.

Eating plenty of fruit and vegetables reduces the risk of inheriting some cancer diseases, as it contains nutrients and high in fibre. Eating more red and processed meat and less fruit and vegetables increase the risk of cancer. The way we cook can also increase risks cancer, as cooking red and processed meats at high temperatures causes certain chemicals to be produced. These chemicals then destroy our cells in our body putting us at risk of cancer.

Eating a healthy balanced diet that’s high in fibre, fruit and vegetables, low in red and processed meats, unsaturated fats, no salt and no sugar reduces the risk of cancer. As well as reducing alcohol intake, regular exercise to maintain body weight and limiting sun exposure.

In the UK there are around 309,500 cases each year for cancer. More than 1 in 3 people develop this sometime in their lifetime. Also every two minutes someone is diagnosed with this condition and one in four deaths which is one person every four minutes. In America there is around 1,529,560 new cases of cancer, more than 1,500 people die a day from this. Cancer is the second common death exceeded from heart disease.



Stroke 

The brain cells needs oxygen and nutrients for the blood to function properly, if this is stopped or restricted the brain cells get damaged or begin to die. Therefore the meaning of stroke is when the blood supply to the part of the brain is cut off, which can lead to brain damage and death. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and smoking are all risks in a stroke as well as obesity, lack of exercise and diet, which falls in all categories.

Stoke is one of the third largest causes of death after heart disease and cancer in England, over 150,000 people suffer from this disease. This can occur at any age even with babies but it is most common in people over the age of 65. Those from Asian, African and Caribbean backgrounds are at higher risk of stroke. In America every 45 seconds someone is suffering from stoke, it kills nearly 160,000 people each year.

Just like any disease eating a healthy diet is very important to reduce the risks of a stoke occurring and also preventing it from happening. A poor diet can lead to a build up of plaque resulting to your arteries narrowing and reducing the blood flow. Eating a low fat diet but high in fibre and including starch based foods such as whole grains, rice, pasta and potatoes reduces risks of stroke. Therefore avoiding saturated fats and salt is suggested. Being obese increase high blood pressure therefore regular exercise to maintain body weight also reduces the risks of this disease.

Those with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes can reduce the risks of stoke by maintaining their condition (see related topics).

Heart disease

Heart disease (angina, stroke and heart attack) is one of the biggest deaths in the UK from around 94,000 people each year. This disease is caused by a build up of fatty deposits in the lining of the heart artery, which then affects the blood flow to narrow and reduce. Within time when the blood flow is restricted it won’t be able to get enough oxygen, this will then cause chest pain. A heart attack is caused when the artery is completely blocked.
Individuals with a high risk level of getting heart disease are those suffering from high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes (see related topics to prevent heart disease) including those who are overweight.

Minimising and preventing the risks of heart disease can be done by one controlling any conditions you currently have (high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes) and secondly by adjusting your lifestyle (maintaining weight, eating healthy, being active).

Regular exercise allows your heart and blood system to be more efficient and a good way to maintain body weight. This allows blood pressure and levels of cholesterol to be under control. Eating healthy is another way of reducing the risks of getting heart disease. Oily fish is known to reduce the amount of fatty deposits building up, as well as a low fat diet containing antioxidants, vitamins and low or no salt.

This condition is more common for those over the age of 50. Every 6 minutes which is 10 people every hour die from a heart attack in the UK. From around 146,000 people each year actually suffer from this condition and as stated above 94,000 of these people die. In America the numbers are far greater every minute there is a death from a heart condition and around 785,000 people suffer from this.