Heart Health by the Numbers -- ThirdAge

Heart Health by the Numbers

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Your heart beats around 100,000 times a day. But despite it being our hardest working organ, we often don't take enough care of it.

Here are some key numbers that will make you reassess how you treat your heart. So read on to reduce your risk of heart disease and add years to your life ...

7 is the number of years you can stave off heart disease by having normal blood pressure, says a Dutch study on over 3,000 middle-aged men.
3 is the daily number of 16-gram servings of whole grain foods the U.K.'s Medical Research Council recommends eating for a healthy heart. A serving is a slice of whole grain bread, a bowl of porridge or a helping of brown rice.
1 weekly portion of oily fish like mackerel, salmon or sardine may help keep your heartbeat regular, reduce excess blood fat and prevent clots in the arteries, according to the British Heart Foundation (BHF). The magic ingredient is the omega-3 fatty acids.
5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day will, on average, slash your risk of heart disease by 30 percent. However, a mere 13 percent of men and 15 percent of women regularly eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables, according to the U.K.'s National Diet and Nutrition Survey.
30 ... That's how many minutes of moderate exercise the Department of Health recommends doing five times a week for a healthy heart. If we all did this, heart disease would be reduced by 20 percent. But only a third of men and a quarter of women exercise this much.
30 is also the danger zone waist measurement in inches for women. Excess weight round your waist puts you at greater risk of heart disease than being overweight by carrying the excess on your buttocks and thighs. The equivalent for men is 40 inches.
10 ... "If you're overweight and reduce your weight by just 10 percent, you'll lower your risk of death from cardiovascular disease by 20 percent," says Dr. Dawn Harper.
40 ... Anyone who's this age or older can go to their doctor or local pharmacy for a heart health assessment. However, if you have a family history of heart disease (one or more relatives who developed the condition before the age of 55 if a man or 65 if a woman) or any other known risk factors such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure or diabetes, make an appointment anyway.
16 million people in the U.K. have high blood pressure but a third of those don't know they have it. A recent global study estimated that it causes 22 percent of heart attacks in western Europe. So if you haven't had yours checked for a while, pick up the phone.
33 ... Get the flu and your risk of dying from a heart attack goes up by 33 percent, says a recent study in the European Heart Journal. It's thought that flu causes inflammation in the arteries, which destabilizes clots. So if you have heart problems, take advantage of the annual flu shots.
6 ... An adult should consume no more than 6 grams of salt a day. Any more and your blood pressure could rise. Watch out for take-out and processed food. Check the label and avoid food that contains more than 1.5 grams salt (or 0.6 grams sodium) per 100 grams.
2 ... "Eating two bananas a day can lower your blood pressure by 10 percent," says Dr. Rob Hicks. Bananas contain potassium, which helps the body rid itself of sodium.
51 is the average age that a woman will go through menopause. This is when they become more susceptible to heart disease. In fact, women are four times more likely to die from heart disease than from breast cancer.
70 percent of people over 45 suffer from high cholesterol, which is a major risk factor for heart disease.
2 to 3 is the number of alcoholic drinks a woman can safely drink in a day. But if you consistently drink more, your blood pressure could rise. Studies show that blood pressure rises less if you only drink with meals. The safe level for men is three to four drinks a day. A drink refers to a glass of wine or half a pint of ordinary-strength beer or cider.
20 ... Women should eat no more than 20 grams saturated fat per day (and men no more than 30 grams) to avoid obesity and clogged arteries -- a major heart disease risk factor. In real terms, a croissant with butter followed by a cheese salad sandwich would total 24 grams, but a bowl of porridge with milk and water, a tuna salad sandwich and chicken stir-fry will only total 6 grams.
1,940 is the average daily calorie requirement for a woman, while the average man needs 2,550 calories a day, according to the Department of Health.
50 ... Death from coronary heart disease is 50 percent higher in smokers than non-smokers, according to a 40-year study. The habit damages blood vessels, increasing risk of heart disease
23 Living with a smoker can increase your risk of heart disease by 23 percent even if you don't indulge in the habit.
911 ... Dial 911 immediately if you suspect that you or someone else is having a heart attack. According to the British Heart Foundation's (BHF) Doubt Kills campaign, someone in the U.K. dies of a heart attack every five minutes, and delay calling the ambulance is a contributing factor.