Heart disorders constitute one of the major killer diseases today and are known to have taken away the lives of many Cameroonians irrespective of age, sex, religion or tribe. The influx of patients into the country’s superlative Shisong Cardiac Centre in Kumbo tells of the gravity of what could become an epidemic if not well handled. Heart disease is surely one of the leading causes of death but from every indication it is not yet a calamity, the reason being that it can be prevented.

Medics have not stopped talking about prevention as probably the best “cure”. This simply entails adopting a decent lifestyle that can help protect the heart from attacks. It is true this requires a lot of sacrifices including selective feeding, well guided exercises and several other key heart disease prevention steps. Health specialists have been talking about seven key things to engage into in order to limit the chances of heart attacks. Some of them include avoidance of tobacco of any kind. It remains one of the most significant risk factors for developing heart disease. Chemicals in tobacco can damage one’s heart and blood vessels, leading to narrowing of the arteries. Getting some regular, daily exercise can reduce the risk of heart disease.

And when one combines physical activity with other lifestyle measures, such as maintaining a healthy weight, the payoff is even greater. Medics equally talk of eating a healthy diet as a factor that can reduce risk of heart disease. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains can help protect the heart. People are advised to eat beans, low-fat or fat-free dairy products, lean meats, and fish as part of a healthy diet and to avoid too much salt and sugars in the diet.

Other measures needed to reduce heart attacks include; weight maintenance, having enough sleep, managing stress and regular health screenings in hospitals and health centres. Sleep deprivation for instance can do more than leave one yawning throughout the day; it can harm one’s health. People who don’t get enough sleep have a higher risk of obesity, high blood pressure, heart attack, diabetes and depression. These and many more are some of the preventive measures that people are advised to adopt in order to limit risk of heart attacks.