How to prevent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases in summer?

Author: Sun Taixin, Chief Physician, Beijing Electric Power Hospital

Reviewer: Zhou Guoping, Chief Physician, Beijing Electric Power Hospital

Since the beginning of summer, the temperature has risen sharply. This year, the high temperature weather continues, the heat and humidity are unbearable, and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases are frequent. So, how to prevent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases in summer?

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In summer, due to the high temperature, people sweat a lot, lose a lot of water in the body, increase blood viscosity, and easily obstruct blood circulation, which can easily induce cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases such as myocardial infarction and stroke. Therefore, in the hot summer, patients with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases should pay attention to adjusting their diet, adjusting their emotions, and regulating risk factors such as blood pressure, blood sugar, and blood lipids to prevent the occurrence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

First, we should “avoid anxiety and irritability” and achieve “calmness and coolness”.

According to the survey, emotional excitement ranks first among the causes of acute myocardial infarction. In the hot summer, people tend to become anxious and unstable. We should avoid the interference of negative emotions from the outside world, which may lead to emotional agitation, tension and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Maintaining a good mood and mentality is an important part of summer health preservation, which has an irreplaceable role in preventing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

Second, we must maintain a regular lifestyle and exercise at appropriate times.

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Summer should be a season for the elderly to "rest" and should not be used for strenuous and heavy exercise. Many elderly people are willing to get up early for morning exercises because the sun rises earlier in the summer. However, according to surveys, 70% to 80% of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases occur between 6 and 10 in the morning, which is also the time when cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases are more common. Therefore, exercise should be avoided during this period as much as possible. Avoid unnecessary outings, especially to places with high temperatures, high humidity, and dense populations. When you must go out, wear light-colored, breathable, and loose cotton clothes, wear a sun hat or use a parasol, and prepare drinking water. If you feel chest tightness, shortness of breath, dizziness, headache, and other discomfort symptoms after going out in hot weather, find a quiet, ventilated, and cool place to rest as soon as possible, and drink plenty of water.

Third, avoid large temperature differences, sudden changes in temperature.

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Nowadays, the use of air conditioners is becoming more and more common. If the indoor air conditioner temperature is too low, it will cause a temperature difference between the indoor and outdoor areas. The large temperature change when walking outdoors from home makes it difficult for patients with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases to adapt, because the rapid change in temperature will cause the human blood vessels to continuously contract and relax, leading to changes in blood pressure, causing blood circulation disorders, and inducing myocardial infarction or stroke. Therefore, the elderly with a history of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases should pay attention to appropriately reduce outdoor activities, rest more indoors, and take a nap for 30 minutes to 1 hour to make up for the lack of sleep at night. When the ambient temperature reaches 32℃, it is best to reduce physical activities and adopt various methods to adjust the indoor temperature, such as starting electric fans, ventilation, ground sprinkling or using air conditioning, so that the indoor temperature is adjusted to around 26℃, and the indoor and outdoor temperature difference is controlled at 6-8℃.

Fourth, adjust your diet, and make sure your meals are "lustful".

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Patients with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases must "love color" in their diet in summer. For example, yellow vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, etc., rich in carotene and lycopene) or green leafy vegetables can reduce arteriosclerosis; white foods (oatmeal powder, oatmeal, etc.) and black foods (black fungus, etc.) have obvious effects on lowering blood viscosity and cholesterol; green vegetables can provide vitamins and dietary fiber, and have a laxative and lipid-lowering effect.

Fifth, drink water frequently to avoid blood viscosity

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In summer, people sweat a lot and lose water quickly. Water shortage will cause blood viscosity, blood coagulation and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Therefore, people should drink water in time in summer to prevent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Patients with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases should not wait until they are thirsty to drink water, but should take the initiative to drink water. The daily water intake should be 1500-2000ml. If the patient has heart failure or renal failure, the water intake should be reduced appropriately. It is best to adjust the water intake according to the doctor's advice.

In short, in the hot summer, the high temperature is unbearable. The elderly should reduce outdoor activities, calm their minds, drink enough water, take medicine on time, have regular follow-up visits, adjust and control risk factors such as blood pressure, blood sugar, and blood lipids, and prevent the occurrence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.