A month of heart has started in Estonia: time to check cholesterol and engage in physical education
In Estonia, the traditional Month of heartin the framework of which experts urge residents of the country to pay attention to the health of the cardiovascular system. According to the health cash desk, heart disease remain the main cause of mortality in Estonia, but about 80% of such diseases can be prevented by changing the lifestyle.
In 2024, the health cash desk paid about 243.4 million euros for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases of Estonia residents and the associated prescription drugs. In 2023, almost half, or 7500, all cases of deaths were caused by cardiovascular diseases, and mortality in Estonia is still higher than on average in Europe.
“Although mortality from cardiovascular diseases in Estonia has decreased in recent years, the costs of the health cash desk have increased, since the main reason for the loss of health in our country is the disease of the circulatory system. Last year, the health cash desk paid for treatment and prescription drugs 441,660 people with cardiovascular diseases. Thus, almost every third resident of Estonia had complaints related to heart and blood vessels, so they required appropriate treatment or medicine, ”said Tiina Estherman, head of the preventive services of the health cash desk. A recent study of the Estonian Health Institute (TAI) showed that in 2023 in Estonia, due to diseases of the circulatory system, it was lost in the aggregate of 150 177 years of life.
According to the cardiologist Margus Vihimaa, the chief physician of the heart health department of the North Estonian regional hospital, it is appropriate to focus on the health of your heart in a month of heart and think about the fact that if your heart works for you every day, are you doing the same for him? According to Vihimaa, it is very important to know the indicators of your health, especially the level of blood cholesterol, which is the first indicator of the health of the heart. “We all have cholesterol in the blood, but we definitely should consider the levels of“ good ”and“ bad ”cholesterol by separately, since the too high level of“ bad ”LDL cholesterol helps to block blood vessels,” said the cardiologist.
The level of “bad” cholesterol in an adult should be below 3 mmol/l, and the level of “good” cholesterol should be higher than 1 mmol/L in men and more than 1.2 mmol/L in women. Wiigima added that women usually have a higher level of “good” cholesterol, since it is influenced by female hormones. “It is important to remember that these indicators are general recommendations, and your doctor can recommend lower target indicators of cholesterol depending on your individual state of health,” said Vihimaa.
Everyone can do a lot to preserve the health of their heart. A significant part of cardiovascular diseases can be prevented by changing lifestyle. The basis of a healthy lifestyle is regular physical activity, normalization of weight, rejection of tobacco products and alcohol, healthy nutrition and a decrease in stress.
Henek Thomson, the supervisor of the Estonian Competence Center for Physical Activity, noted that regular sports are one of the most affordable and reliable ways to extend a healthy life. “Based on the latest international research, we can confidently declare – only half an hour of moderate physical exercises per day reduce the risk of heart disease by almost a fifth. However, even short, duration of a few minutes, high -intensity exercises during the day – for example, climbing several flights of stairs – can reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke to 30%. These figures confirm that every minute of exercises is a valuable and important investment in the health of your heart, ”Thomson noted and recommended involving his loved ones or friends who will be your support and inspire you if you lose motivation. “It is important to consciously find opportunities for daily physical activity, whether walking, riding a bicycle or even work in the garden. Your heart will say thank you for this today, tomorrow and after many years, ”Thomson emphasized.
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