What harms your heart? Which habits increase the risk of a heart attack

Posted: September 04, 2024

General practitioner

Did you know that eating fried food regularly greatly increases your risk of heart disease? Or that people who have already had coronary heart disease and sleep less than 6 hours a night have a 29% higher risk of a heart attack?

According to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation report, cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death in the world and many of them are preventable!

We have listed the factors that are significantly involved in your risk of heart attack.

➤ Heart disease is the most common cause of death worldwide!

These 5 factors are decisive for your heart health!

1) You eat an unhealthy diet

Bad eating habits are slowly but surely destroying your heart. Because all those foods that are rich in trans fats, saturated fatty acids, salt, red meat and refined sugar will sooner or later lead to obesity and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Visceral fat (abdominal fat) in particular massively increases the risk of a heart attack. A reduction of just 1 cm in abdominal circumference reduces the risk of vascular disease by 3%.

With a vegetarian diet, you can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by 40%! According to experts, a plant-based diet is also the only dietary pattern that can even reverse cardiovascular disease. This ensures lower blood pressure, lower blood lipid levels, less weight and a reduced risk of metabolic syndrome or type 2 diabetes.

➤ Eat heart-consciously! Vegetarians have a 40% lower risk!

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2) You have a lot of stress

If you are exposed to constant stress, you unintentionally increase your risk of heart disease. When you are stressed, your body produces the stress hormone cortisol. In high doses, this hormone makes your heart beat faster and stronger than it should. If this is not controlled, increased blood pressure can trigger a heart attack over time.

An analysis showed that 60% of patients exposed to high stress and almost 37% of patients exposed to moderate stress were also affected by coronary heart disease. Experts conclude that there is a direct link between psychological stress and coronary heart disease. It is therefore immensely important to reduce increased stress and thus increased cortisol levels.

➤ A strong emotional strain can trigger a stress-related heart attack!

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3) You don't get enough exercise

A sedentary lifestyle can be very dangerous for your heart if it is lived on a daily basis. This is because the less you move, the more likely you are to gain weight and develop obesity-related problems.

According to studies, regular exercise has a positive effect on your own cardiovascular risk profile for coronary heart disease and reduces the risk of a heart attack by 50%! In addition, regular exercise leads to better weight control and is considered an effective antidepressant.

➤ Halve your risk of heart attack with sport!

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4) Sleep? No time!

Lack of sleep not only affects your general health, but also your heart health. In addition to hormonal imbalances, sleep problems also promote the production of stress hormones.

Scientists compared 13 studies and found that insomnia - either difficulty falling asleep or restless nights - was associated with a 45% higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease. This highlights the importance of restful sleep in the potential prevention of cardiovascular events. For a healthy heart, experts say you should get between 7 and 8 hours of undisturbed sleep a night.

➤ Sleep disorders increase your risk of heart attack or stroke!

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5) You smoke from time to time

Are you a smoker? Then your heart is at high risk. The chemicals and substances contained in tobacco can damage the blood vessels. Plaque can build up in the arteries, causing them to narrow. This can lead to a heart attack.

According to one study, the risk of a heart attack increases by 5.6% for every additional cigarette smoked! All forms of tobacco consumption, including the various types of smoking, chewing tobacco or inhalation, should be stopped. This is because these are considered to be one of the most important, but at the same time preventable, causes of cardiovascular disease. The rule is simple: the more you smoke, the higher your risk!

➤ The risk of a heart attack is over 80% lower with a healthy lifestyle!

How can you additionally protect your heart?

Resveratrol Forte Plus: The secondary plant substance, which is found in red wine, grapes and berries, for example, helps to reduce high blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
OPC with vitamin C: The 100 % pure grape seed extract with vitamin C supports the cardiovascular system by improving oxygenation in the blood and helping to lower blood pressure.
Vitamin K2 MK7: This fat-soluble vitamin is found in fermented foods, for example, and ensures unimpeded blood flow and supple arteries. Vitamin K2 inhibits calcification and hardening of the arteries and therefore supports heart health.
Omega 3: A poor omega 3 to omega 6 ratio - which most people have due to their diet - can result in heart disease. Omega 3 can help to improve this ratio and thus reduce the risk.

Conclusion:

In many cases, damage to the cardiovascular system can be reversed by changing habits. According to studies, you can reduce the risk of a heart attack by over 80 % with a healthy lifestyle! Diet plays a particularly important key role in this.

So start today with new habits and leave out the ones mentioned above!

Sources (in English):

Kahleova, H., Levin, S. & Barnard, N. D. (2018, May-June). Vegetarian Dietary Patterns and Cardiovascular Disease. Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases, 61(1):54-61, doi: 10.1016/j.pcad.2018.05.002

The Lancet – GBD Compare. Verfügbar unter: [https://www.thelancet.com/lancet/visualisations/gbd-compare]

Kurd, B. J., Dar, M. I., Shoaib, M., Malik, L., Aijaz, Z. & Asif, I. (2014, February). Relationship Between Stress and Coronary Heart Disease. Asian Cardiovascular & Thoracic Annals, 22(2):142-7, doi: 10.1177/0218492312469803

Schmied, C. M. (2018, August). [Exercise and Sports in the Therapy of Chronic Diseases - Coronary Heart Disease] Praxis (Bern), 107(17-18):959-964, doi: 10.1024/1661-8157/a003066

Sharma, S., Merhani, A. & Mont, L. (2015, June). Exercise and the Heart: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. European Heart Journal, 36(23):1445-53, doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehv090

Teo, K. K., Ounpuu, S., Hawken, S., Pandey, M. R., Valentin, V., Hunt, D. et al. (2006, August). Tobacco Use and Risk of Myocardial Infarction in 52 Countries in the INTERHEART Study: A Case-Control Study. Lancet, 368(9536):647-58, doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(06)69249-0

Sofi, F., Cesari, F., Casini, A., Macchi, C., Abbate, R. & Gensini, G. F. (2014, January). Insomnia and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: A Meta-Analysis. European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, 21(1):57-64, doi: 10.1177/2047487312460020

Pallazola, V. A., Davis, D. M., Whelton, S. P., Cardoso, R., Latina, J. M., Michos, E. D. et al. (2019, August). A Clinician's Guide to Healthy Eating for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. Innovations, Quality & Outcomes, 3(3):251-267, doi:10.1016/j.mayocpiqo.2019.05.001

Barger, L. K., Rajaratnam, S. M., Cannon, C. P., Lukas, M. A., Im, K., Goodrich, E. L. et al. (2017, October). Short Sleep Duration, Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Shiftwork, and the Risk of Adverse Cardiovascular Events in Patients After an Acute Coronary Syndrome. Journal of the American Heart Association, 6(10):e006959, doi: 10.1161/JAHA.117.006959

He, Q., Zhang, P., Li, G., Dai, H. & Shi, J. (2017, July). The Association Between Insomnia Symptoms and Risk of Cardio-Cerebral Vascular Events: A Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies. European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, 24(10):1071-1082, doi: 10.1177/2047487317702043

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