Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a general umbrella term for conditions that affect the heart and blood vessels leading to heart attack, stroke and many other problems. It is the leading cause of death worldwide in men and women.

Heart disease is the most common kind of CVD and happens when the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart is reduced or blocked. This can cause angina (chest pain) and heart attack. It can also cause heart failure which occurs when the heart cannot adequately pump blood around the body

Stroke is another common type of CVD. Unlike heart disease where the blood supply to the heart is obstructed, in stroke, the blood supply to the brain is blocked or reduced. The result is the brain is deprived of oxygen and nutrients, causing brain cells to die within minutes.

If the blockage or narrowing of the blood supply to peripheral parts of the body such as the legs happens, then this is called peripheral arterial disease. This can cause a dull cramping pain in the legs which gets worse with walking, muscle weakness, a feeling of numbness and coldness in the legs, and non-healing ulcers on the feet and legs.

There are many causes of CVD, but the most common one related to heart attacks, stroke and peripheral artery disease is explained by a build-up of fatty deposits (called plaque) in the arteries. The presence of these deposits is called atherosclerosis. It can put a person at major risk of blood clots. High blood pressure, smoking, poor diet, lack of exercise and many other factors put a person at a higher risk of CVD.

For coronary heart disease, common signs and symptoms include:

For stroke, the common signs and symptoms include:

The warning signs of a heart attack or stroke vary, and it is important to recognise them, as ignoring them could be fatal. Knowing the symptoms and acting on them quickly can increase chance of survival. If you, or someone else, is experiencing the symptoms of a heart attack or stroke, call Triple Zero (000) immediately and ask for an ambulance.

Cardiovascular disease is rarely explained by just one risk factor. Often, a combination of related risk factors occurs together to increase a person’s risk. Common risk factors include:

• Smoking
• Diabetes
• Family history of heart disease
• Drinking too much alcohol
• A poor diet low in plant foods and fibre, and high in salt and overly processed sugary and fatty foods
• High blood pressure
• High blood cholesterol
• Not being physically active
• Carrying too much weight, especially around the abdominal area

The Australian Heart Foundation has developed the ‘Heart Age Calculator’. It is a simple way to check your risk of developing heart disease.

Answer these 13 short questions to get your estimated heart age. Your risk of a heart attack or stroke may be higher if your heart age is greater than your actual age.

For more information about heart health, visit the Australian Heart Foundation.

Keeping your heart healthy may be well within your control. That’s because many of the risk factors for heart disease have diet and lifestyle habits at their centre.

The cornerstone of a healthy heart rests with what you eat. And here, it is not about any single food or nutrient, but instead a dietary pattern or theme with lots of scope to tailor it to your food tastes. One of the best known and well-researched heart-healthy dietary patterns is the Mediterranean diet. Common themes of a heart-healthy diet include:

• Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables in place of more highly processed convenience and snack foods
• Making smart swaps by choosing wholegrain foods over more highly refined grains. Choose wholegrain bread over white bread, swap white rice for brown rice or popular grains like quinoa, and choose foods where wholegrains are listed high up in the ingredient list
• Opting for healthier fats like those found in nuts, seeds, salmon, avocados and olive oil
• Including more healthy omega-3 fats in your diet like those found naturally in oily fish, seafood and plant sources such as walnuts, chia, hemp and flaxseed
• Eating less red meat by swapping it for chicken or fish. Or maybe even some of the many varieties of plant powerhouse legumes such as lentils, kidney beans, chickpeas or even tofu
• Adding more spices and herbs to your food instead of salt

Getting more active is one of the most potent health habits that anyone could do. Regular physical activity not only cuts the risk of heart disease, but also the risk of type 2 diabetes and many forms of cancer. It also strengthens your muscles and bones and improves your mental mood. Aim for 30 minutes per day on most days of the week. But just moving more naturally throughout your day will reap benefits.

If you smoke, now is the best time ever to quit or to start the process of smoking less. Smokers are 2-4 times more at risk of developing heart disease compared to non-smokers. The benefits of quitting start almost straight away.

Excess weight is linked to the risk of heart disease. But it is not a case of how much fat you have, but where it is found that is more the issue. It is the dangerous belly fat around the abdomen that you want to have less of. Being more active and eating better will go a long way to helping trim the waistline.