Did you know that the heart is the strongest muscle in the body? And it's only the size of your fist!

One would think that to keep something so small in good shape would be relatively easy but the opposite is in fact true — to maintain optimal heart health a variety of factors need to be adhered to and monitored regularly.

We each have only one heart and one chance to keep it strong. Here are a few tips on how to do that and how to know when you are at risk of heart disease...

The heart of the matter

Cardiovascular (heart) disease is a broad term that covers any disease or illness that puts the heart at risk. Within this broad term there are illnesses such as rheumatic heart disease, hypertensive heart disease, ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular heart disease, inflammatory heart disease, congenital heart disease, and heart failure.

Some are hereditary or birth defects, others are developed over time and with bad lifestyle habits, all of them are serious and need to be addressed as soon as they are diagnosed or even suspected.

The risk factors which can lead to heart problems are smoking, drinking excessively and too often, high blood pressure (hypertension), high cholesterol, obesity, physical inactivity and unhealthy dietary habits.

If one of these is relevant to your lifestyle that does not automatically mean that you will develop heart disease but the more risk factors that apply, the higher the chance of heart disease developing.

A few ways to ensure optimal heart health and keep heart disease at bay for as long as possible are:

• Maintain a regular exercise routine consisting of no less than three x 30 minute aerobic activities per week.
• Give up smoking. This increases the risk of heart disease dramatically and with time. If you are a relatively new smoker the chances are the damage done is still not too severe — and the damage is reparable so the sooner one stops the better.
• Limit alcohol intake to no more than one unit per day at most. This is equivalent to one glass of wine, one beer, and one shot of spirits.
• Lose weight! If your BMI (Body Mass Index) indicates that you are overweight the heart is automatically under stress and this weakens the muscle over time. Have your BMI checked by your Doctor or a fitness expert at the gym.
• Have your cholesterol checked at the same time. High cholesterol clogs the arteries making the heart pump twice as hard to get the blood moving around the body and again, this weakens the muscle and increases the risk of disease.
• Relax! Stress is a major contributing factor in serious illnesses such as heart disease and cancer. Most of us live such fast-paced lives and don't take time out to destress. Go for a walk, take up yoga or read a book for an hour. It could make the world of difference to your heart and your life.

Look after your heart and your heart will look after you.

Heart tips brought to you by Clicks and the World Heart Federation.



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