Heart Health

• The heart
  • Video: Heart health
  • The cardiovascular system
  • Cholesterol
• Heart disease
  • Video: Cardiovascular disease prevention
  • Metabolic syndrome
  • Video: Diet and metabolic syndrome
• Eating for heart health
  • Nutrition for lowering cholesterol levels
  • Mediterranean diet

The heart

Video: Heart health

How do you keep your heart healthy? Dr Joe Kosterich talks about key points in heart health, including what foods to eat, diabetes, your BMI, exercise, smoking and stress.Watch the video Heart Health.

The cardiovascular system

The cardiovascular system can be thought of as the transport system of the body. This system has three main components: the heart, the blood vessel and the blood itself. The heart is the system’s pump and the blood vessels are like the delivery routes. Blood is a fluid that transports the oxygen and nutrients needed by the body.

For more information, see Cardiovascular System.

Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a substance naturally found in the walls of cells. It is used by the body to produce certain hormones, vitamin D, and bile acids that help to digest fat. If the amounts of cholesterol in the blood are excessive, cholesterol can build up in arteries, which can lead to coronary heart disease and many other serious conditions.

For more information on cholesterol, including the health effects of high cholesterol and ways to lower cholesterol levels, as well as some useful tools, see Cholesterol.

Heart disease

Video: Cardiovascular disease prevention

Clinical Associate Professor David Sullivan explains the significance of family history and cholesterol in cardiovascular disease, the importance of promoting awareness about the inherited risk of CVD, and the concept of familial cascade screening.Watch the video Cardiovascular Disease Prevention.

Metabolic syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is diagnosed when a number of metabolic abnormalities (including insulin resistance and obesity) occur at the same time in an individual. Individuals who have the syndrome are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus than those who do not.

For more information, see Metabolic Syndrome.

Video: Diet and metabolic syndrome

1 in 3 Australians over the age of 25 have metabolic syndrome. Clinical dietitian Dr Catherine Itsiopoulos discusses ways to identify if you have metabolic syndrome, ways to prevent it, and tips on healthy eating.Watch the video Diet and Metabolic Syndrome.

Eating for heart health

Nutrition for lowering cholesterol levels

Dietary changes are often the first things attempted to try to lower cholesterol levels. Losing weight, exercising and cutting down on “bad” fats are the cornerstones of a cholesterol-lowering lifestyle. The excess calories that you consume, regardless of where they come from (carbohydrates, fats or protein), will be transformed into triglycerides for storage as body fat.

For more information, see Nutrition for Lowering Cholesterol Levels.

Mediterranean diet

The Mediterranean diet is a diet based on plant foods. It is high in N-3 fatty acids, antioxidants and phytochemicals, and low in cholesterol, salt and sugar. The Mediterranean diet has received a lot of attention in recent years because scientists have shown that following it is associated with a number of health benefits.

For more information, see Mediterranean Diet.

More information

Nutrition

For more information on nutrition, including information on types and composition of food, nutrition and people, conditions related to nutrition, and diets and recipes, as well as some useful videos and tools, see Nutrition.

Fitness

For more information on fitness and exercise, including stretches, types of exercise, exercise recovery and exercise with health conditions, as well as some useful videos, see Fitness and Exercise.