Cardiovascular Diseases
Quit smoking
Smoking is one of the main factors that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. It is therefore very important not to smoke. Zorggroep Almere can help you to quit smoking. For example, you can receive individual guidance from the practice nurse or doctor's assistant at your health center. When you are under control within the GP practice for your high blood pressure and / or high cholesterol and are taking medication for this, smoking cessation guidance by the practice nurse is included in the treatment package that you receive. You do not have to pay extra for this and it is not at the expense of your deductible. The cost of smoking cessation - medications you may be prescribed or the use of nicotine substitutes (such as patches and gum) - will be covered by your health insurance provider. The latter costs are at the expense of your deductible.
Use food and drink sensibly
People with high blood pressure and high cholesterol are often advised not to become overweight and to use as little saturated fat as possible in their diet. You can contact our dieticians for all nutritional questions.
Important tips for your diet:
- Limit the use of butter, hard margarines, fatty meat and milk products and snacks.
- Eat one portion (100-150 gr) of fish per week, regularly opt for oily fish.
- Consume 250 grams of vegetables and 200 grams of fruit daily.
- Limit the use of salt to a maximum of six grams per day and do not add salt to the diet.
Handle alcohol wisely
It is good to limit the use of alcohol. This means that women drink no more than one glass of alcohol per day and men a maximum of one or two glasses.Ensuring optimal weight
The optimal weight is determined on the basis of the BMI (Body Mass Index). This number indicates whether your weight "fits" your height. We aim for a BMI of no higher than 25 kg / m2 if you are younger than 70 years. If you are older than 70 years, we aim for a BMI of less than 30 kg / m2. You can calculate your BMI yourself. We can also calculate your BMI for you at the health center. Obesity is when the BMI is over 25.
Get enough exercise
Exercise is healthy for everyone, but for people with high blood pressure and / or high cholesterol it is even more important to get enough exercise. Sufficient exercise means that you are exercising intensively for thirty minutes a day at least five days a week. You can think of cycling, brisk walking or gardening.
Prevent stress
Stress increases the risk of cardiovascular problems. If you are under a lot of stress, it is important to do something about it. At the practice we can try to discover the cause of your stress. We can make a plan to reduce the stress. Sometimes a visit to a mental health practice nurse, social worker or a psychologist can give a lot of clarity and therefore peace of mind in a few weeks.
Take medication faithfully
It is important that you take the medication you receive faithfully and that you use the times and amounts that you have agreed with your doctor. The practice nurse can also make agreements with you about this. If you find it difficult to take the medicines on time, you can discuss this with your general practitioner, practice nurse or pharmacist. They can advise on this and provide tools to make it easy for you. You can think of medication boxes or special medication rolls in which the medicines have already been sorted for you in bags per time point (baxter rolls). healthcare. It is inadvisable to deviate from what you have been prescribed on your own initiative.
Sphygmomanometer
For some people, the doctor or practice nurse may recommend purchasing a blood pressure monitor to monitor blood pressure at home. Not all meters are equally suitable. You will find good information on this site of the Heart Foundation
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