Christmas and New Year are joyful annual celebrations, but an expert at Nuffield Health Bournemouth suggests they should come with a health warning. Over-indulgence, stress, lack of exercise all combined with the chilly weather make the festive season the worst time of year for heart health. A growing body of research has shown that heart attacks are more common in the winter months.
Keeping the heart healthy is a key ingredient to overall wellness, and as a result Dr Suneel Talwar, consultant cardiologist at Nuffield Health Bournemouth Hospital, is urging employers to play their part to inspire the workforce to get heart-healthy now ahead of the festive break.
Dr Suneel Talwar said: “Winter is perhaps the worst time of year for the heart. Aside from the cold weather, which can make arteries constrict reducing blood flow and the delivery of oxygen to the heart, over-indulgence in high-fat foods and alcohol as well as neglecting regular exercise during the festive period can increase the risk of triggering a heart attack. An attack is caused when there’s a blockage in one of the heart’s arteries and this blockage can be caused by deposits of cholesterol or a blood clot.
“There are many key risk factors for heart attacks which are modifiable through lifestyle changes. These include smoking, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and being overweight. Unfortunately, we cannot alter increasing age and our family history, however we can all take steps to protect our heart health.
“As more companies are realising the importance of employee health, many of them are helping employees adopt more healthy habits. December is a great time to spread awareness in the workplace on how to embrace heart-healthy habits to prevent heart problems as well as provide motivation for how to make behavioural changes that lead a healthier lifestyle.
Dr Suneel Talwar shared his top simple steps to assist your employees in improving their cardiovascular wellbeing in readiness for the Christmas break:
- Get people moving – Physical activity helps lower blood pressure, control weight and reduce stress. Therefore, you should create a work environment that is conducive to regular movement. Perhaps provide access to fitness equipment, gym membership, and an outdoor space as exercise can help to reduce stress levels.
- Serve healthy snacks – Supply healthy snack options at work, such as fruits. Eating healthy snacks can help to lower cholesterol.
- Offer guidance to those who wish to quit smoking – smoking damages the lining of the arteries, causes inflammation, and makes the blood more prone to clotting. Signpost employees to support groups that can provide advice on how to stop smoking.
Nuffield Health Bournemouth Hospital has a dedicated cardiology service which is able to fully assess the blood vessels of the heart and treat critical narrowing’s if required. This can be done through a variety of investigations such as a pioneering cardiac CT scanner, a state-of-the-art cardiac MRI scanner, echocardiogram and an angiogram. Furthermore, critical narrowing’s of blood vessels supplying the heart can be treated through the implantation of stents, which will open up the artery.
To make an appointment at Nuffield Health Bournemouth Hospital contact the customer services team on 01202 702830.