A complete guide to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular prevention in winter, please check it out

Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases are one of the diseases that are prone to occur in winter. The incidence rate is increasing year by year and is getting younger and younger. Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases are characterized by high morbidity, high disability rate and high mortality rate, so it is very important to do a good job of prevention. There are many factors that affect the onset of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, such as temperature, physical activity, air pollution, infection and eating habits. Patients with a history of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases should pay more attention to their own health care and prevention.

Temperature is an important factor in the high incidence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases in winter. The temperature drops in winter and the body's metabolism slows down. If the body is not kept warm at this time, the body will be stimulated by the low temperature and the blood vessels will suddenly contract, which can easily lead to obstruction of blood circulation and interruption of blood supply, thus inducing the onset of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Studies have also found that as the temperature rises, the sympathetic nervous system is easily activated and the secretion of catecholamines will increase, leading to increased heart rate, increased peripheral vascular resistance, and increased blood pressure [1]. Therefore, it is very important to keep warm in winter, especially for patients with a history of disease. They should pay more attention to adding clothes to keep warm. It is worth noting that air conditioning and heating are now more popular. In winter, there will be a large temperature difference between indoors and outdoors. When going out from a warm room, you should be extra careful to avoid the sudden drop in temperature that may cause the occurrence of diseases.

Compared with other seasons, people's physical activity in winter is significantly less, and lack of physical exercise is also an important cause of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Appropriate physical activity can maintain normal vasomotor tension, enhance blood flow and regulate blood vessel growth, and reduce the incidence of myocardial infarction, coronary vasospasm and hypertension [2].

Epidemiological studies have shown that cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases are associated with overweight, obesity and elevated serum total cholesterol, so dietary structure and eating habits are also very important for disease prevention. In terms of diet, attention should be paid to nutritional balance, avoiding overeating, and reducing salt intake. A high-salt diet can easily lead to hypertension and atherosclerosis. Regarding alcohol intake, drinking a moderate amount of alcohol in winter can promote blood circulation, but long-term and heavy drinking can lead to abnormal fat metabolism, increased cholesterol in the blood, and vascular sclerosis. For some patients with a history of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, alcohol intake must be strictly controlled [3].

In addition to the above-mentioned factors, smoking and air pollution are also risk factors for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Smoking is one of the risk factors for aortic aneurysm rupture. Winter is cold and people are often in relatively closed rooms, which increases the chance of exposure to tobacco smoke. Long-term inhalation of smoke, including second-hand and third-hand smoke, can lead to elevated blood cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein, and can also cause abnormal platelet and coagulation function [4]. Therefore, patients with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases should quit smoking in a timely manner and be vigilant about the inhalation of second-hand and third-hand smoke. Former smokers should also quit smoking as soon as possible to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. In addition, regular physical examinations are also very important. Early detection of diseases such as hypertension and atherosclerosis and timely treatment can greatly reduce the disability and mortality rates of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

References:

[1] Hanna JM. Climate, altitude, and blood pressure. Human biology, 1999, 553-582

[2] Sherman DL. Exercise and endothelial function. Coronary artery disease, 2000, 11: 117-122

[3] Lin Zijian, Zheng Xuena, Xie Meisang. Reasonable diet for patients with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Chinese Health and Nutrition: Second Half of the Month, 2013, 2

[4] Ding Guanqing. Smoking and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Journal of Elderly and Aging Health Care, 2006, 2