Does lifestyle really matter?

Risposta: “Faber est suae quisque fortunae”: never has an aphorism proved more apt than when applied to preventive cardiology. The decisions we make every day — a diet high in saturated fats and refined sugars, a predominantly sedentary lifestyle, cigarette smoking, poor adherence to blood pressure and LDL cholesterol checks — represent the very ‘highway’ that we ourselves build towards the onset and progression of cardiovascular disease.

All too often, heart disease is regarded as a random occurrence or an inevitable consequence of the passage of time; on the contrary, genomics and clinical epidemiology show that genetic susceptibility is merely a predisposition, whilst lifestyle determines whether or not that pathological potential will develop into a full-blown disease. We have concrete and well-documented opportunities to reduce — or even avoid altogether — the need for long-term drug treatments or invasive procedures (such as stenting or aortocoronary bypass surgery) if we simply make the right choices regarding our lifestyle habits.

The heart performs continuously and exceptionally throughout our entire lives, pumping litres of blood every minute without ever taking a break. It is therefore our clear duty and in our own best interests to pay the utmost attention to looking after it. Looking after the cardiovascular system cannot be seen as a one-off action or a last-minute emergency, but must become an integral part of our body image and our daily routine. Regularly monitoring metabolic risk factors, maintaining a body mass index (BMI) within healthy limits, taking regular exercise and eating mindfully do not stem from a cosmetic whim or a passing fad. Rather, they stem from the full realisation that this ‘way of being’ is the most effective means of ensuring a life that is not only longer, but infinitely better in terms of independence, energy and quality.

Starting this journey from a young age helps to protect the vascular endothelium from cumulative damage, counteracting from the outset the atherosclerotic process which, otherwise, might develop silently but inexorably over decades. For this very reason, cardiovascular prevention must be viewed as an ongoing process, built upon daily, informed choices, rather than an intervention to be undertaken only when the first signs of disease appear. Stress management, good sleep quality and not smoking, together with moderate alcohol consumption, also help to maintain the body’s balance over time. Looking after your heart therefore means adopting a lifestyle that protects it day after day, turning prevention into a genuine investment in the future. From this perspective, cardiovascular health is not simply the absence of disease, but an essential condition for maintaining independence, energy and well-being as the years go by. Ultimately, it is a commitment to ourselves that can enable us not only to live longer, but above all to live better.