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Lifestyle choices

It's never too late to make positive changes to how you live your day to day life. There are huge benefits to stopping smoking, being more active, limiting alcohol intake and eating more healthily.

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How can I reduce my risk of CVD?

There are a number of things you can do to reduce your risk of Cardiovascular Disease. Click on the icons below to learn more about the Lifestyle Changes you can make to keep your heart healthy.

Live well

Small and simple changes could make a huge difference! A healthy lifestyle is the best way to prevent CVD. See below for more information.

Your NHS is here to help you make the right decisions about your health care. Whether you're choosing between treatment options or where to have the treatment, healthcare professionals will share their expert view on what's best for you, and you can offer your expertise on how your healthcare choices might affect what matters most to you. Together, you can make the right choice for you. What's important to you is important to your healthcare.

We are encouraging the patient to be an active participant in conversations about their healthcare. We are helping patients to prepare and make the most of an appointment that would involve shared decision making by asking patients to consider what matters most to them prior to the appointment, such as caring responsibilities or hobbies, and also to ask four questions during the appointment, when discussing healthcare options.

  • What are the benefits?
  • What are the risks?
  • What are the alternatives?
  • What if i do nothing?

Our goal is to improve outcomes for our patients by helping them to be more involved in decision making about their healthcare.

If you have any queries, please contact NHS Birmingham and Solihull’s Communications team via email or contact the Personalised Care team via email.

 

 

 

Dr Sam Finnekin 
GP from Sutton Coldfield

Personalised Care & shared decision making 

Discussing Personalised Care planning and how it can help you get the most out of your healthcare. Personalised care approach ensures that your preferences and values are incorporated into decisions about your health.

                   

The Main Causes of Heart Disease

High blood pressure

Know your numbers …

Having a healthy blood pressure is essential to maintaining a healthy heart.

More than one in ten people living in Birmingham and Solihull are known to have high blood pressure (hypertension), a leading cause of heart attack and stroke.

What’s your blood pressure? Do you know your numbers? Next time you see your doctor or practice nurse, ask them to check.

High Blood Pressure

Having a healthy blood pressure is essential to maintaining a healthy heart....
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Smoking

Giving up smoking is the single biggest thing you can do to improve your...
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High cholesterol

Cholesterol is a fatty substance known as a lipid and is vital for the normal functioning of the body. It's mainly made by the liver, but can also be found in some foods...
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Overweight

If you’d like free local support to help you lose weight...
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Poorly controlled diabetes

People with diabetes have a higher chance of developing cardio...
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Inactivity

Exercise is the miracle cure we've always had, but for too long we've neglected to take our recommended dose...
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Too much alcohol

Drinking more than the recommended units of alcohol can have a harmful effect...
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Unhealthy diet

We recommend eating a healthy, balanced, high-fibre diet...
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Stress

Spotting the early signs of stress will also help prevent it getting...
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If you're aged 40-74 years old you may be eligible for a
FREE NHS health check. Part of this check involves
assessing your individual CVD risk and advising you how
to reduce it. Ask your Dcotor to see if you are eligible. 

 

Look after your heart...

 

Exercise

Exercise

30 minutes exercise a day keeps your heart healthy …

The best way of maintaining a healthy weight – and reduce your chances of developing high blood pressure - is to combine a healthy diet with regular exercise.

That means around 30 minutes of physical exercise on five or more days a week – things like: fast walking, riding a bike, mowing the lawn, hiking and much more.  

Regular exercise makes your heart and blood circulatory system more efficient, lowers your cholesterol level, and keeps your blood pressure at a healthy level.

If you're doing no exercise now, start out slow. Even 10 minutes at a time may offer some health benefits. Studies show that people who have achieved even a moderate level of fitness are much less likely to die early than those with a low fitness level.

There’s lots of information about building up and maintaining your fitness on the “live well” pages at NHS Choices.

 

 

 

 

 

Heart Attack Campaign

NHS England and NHS Improvement has launched a Heart Attack campaign. The first NHS campaign of its kind, it raises awareness of the symptoms of a heart attack and encourages anyone experiencing these symptoms to dial 999.

What is a Heart Attack?

A heart attack happens when there’s a sudden restriction in the heart’s blood supply.

What are the symptoms?

A heart attack can cause a variety of symptoms but most often:

  • Chest pain, a sensation of pressure, heaviness, tightness or squeezing across the chest.

  • A feeling of unease, like a panic attack.

Other symptoms may include pain spreading through the arms, jaw, neck, back or tummy, feeling lightheaded or dizzy, sweating, shortness of breath, feeling sick or being sick, coughing or wheezing.

Although the chest pain is often severe, some people may only experience minor pain, similar to indigestion. It’s important to act straight away.

What to do?

  • Call 999 & describe the symptoms 

  • Give Aspirin (ideally 300mg) whilst waiting for ambulance

  • Keep the person calm

It’s never too early to call 999 and describe the symptoms.

Smartphones

Smartphones

Let your smartphone do the talking …

There are lots of helpful tools you can download to your smartphone to help with changing your lifestyle:

 

RevivR™ CPR Training

Learn to do CPR and use a defibrillator in just 15 minutes on your mobile phone or tablet. Many of us will witness a cardiac arrest in our lifetime. Be ready for that day.

Click here for further information.

 

 

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