How heart healthy are you?

County Mayo has one of the highest rates of cardiovascular disease in Ireland.

Equally, the county has the highest proportion of people over the age of 55 in the country.

Heart disease, stroke and diabetes are more common in older age and this is related to the fact that many cardiovascular disease conditions are age related.

However, with greater public awareness of these conditions, earlier detection, diagnosis and treatment, the impact of many heart conditions such as high blood pressure, heart valve disease, heart failure and atrial fibrillation (irregular heart beat) can be minimised so people can have a longer and better quality of life.

Croí’s vision through the ‘Croí Third Age Mayo’ Project is to develop a culture in Mayo where promoting cardiovascular health and well-being is a priority for the 55+age group.

By taking control of your heart health up to 80% of heart disease and stroke can be prevented by controlling risk factors such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure and smoking.

Empowering patients to take ownership of their heart health is pivotal to Croí’s mission in the fight against heart disease and stroke.

In order to take ownership of your heart health, you must first understand what a risk factor is and how it relates to you as an individual.

Understanding your risk and prioritising appropriate preventive action now could give you a better quality of life and keep you healthy for longer.

Risk factors

A risk factor is anything that raises a person’s chance of developing heart disease and stroke.

The more risk factors you have, the more likely it is that you will develop heart disease and stroke.

Modifiable risk factors (those which are within your control to change) include: High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, Smoking, Diabetes, Physical Inactivity, Overweight/Obesity and Stress.

Non-modifiable risk factors (those which you cannot change) include: Family History, Ethnicity/Race, Sex and Age.

Take control of the risk factors you can change.

In response to Covid-19, Croí launched Heartlink West which is a FREE daily support service from community based, multi-disciplinary health team of nurses, physiotherapists, dietitians and physical activity specialists. Call 091 544310 or email healthteam@croi.ie to speak with the team.

For more health information, free resources, online exercises videos and more, or to support the work at Croí, visit www.croi.ie.

See our new virtual exercise programme timetable at https://www.croi.ie/classes.