This data is the essence of "self-management". Expert: there is no better method

What connects a smartwatch and a woman’s heart? It turns out, more than you think. Appropriate use of data from the device can mean success for both the patient and his doctor. Huawei CBG has done some interesting research on this topic.

Caring for your heart after the age of 20?

Huawei CBG research shows that as many as 34% of Polish women believe this, and another 33% believe that it should be dealt with only after the 30th birthday. But generally we care about our health and this fact makes us very happy. As many as 80% of Polish women indicate that they have measured their blood pressure in the last 6 months. However, it is still worth working on practice – only just over half of women (56%) know ways to lower blood pressure. How to effectively take care of your heart health and what preventive tests are worth performing, is answered by prof. Krzysztof Filipiak.

Oh, that’s hypertension

Hypertension is the most common cause of premature death in Poland. Women get heart disease just as often as men, but usually about 10 years later. This results in higher mortality, because in later life it is more difficult to be cured effectively because, on average, there are more comorbidities. Additionally, symptoms may be less typical in women.

Typically, the heart condition of Polish women deteriorates after the age of 40. Until then, women are protected by the hormonal system, mainly estrogen. Specific risk factors for women include issues related to pregnancy and childbirth (especially due to decisions about having children being made later and later) and menopause. Cardiovascular diseases are a more common cause of death in women than all oncological diseases combined.

What is the greatest enemy of the heart?

It is no secret that the biggest enemies of the circulatory system are:

sedentary lifestyle,
lack of physical activity,
obesity, which after the pandemic more often affects women,
stimulants such as alcohol, coffee or cigarettes
stress

In Poland, 5 million women have hypertension, 10 million have high cholesterol, and nearly 2 million have diabetes. All these factors affect women’s hearts and all these diseases can be prevented with physical activity, diet and beneficial lifestyle changes.

– says prof. Ph.D. med. Krzysztof J. Filipiak.

Prevention is better than cure

Take care of prevention. It helps your health physical activity. Even four thousand steps every day reduce the risk of obesity and thus heart disease. Proper diet this is another preventive factor. It is also important avoiding stress and getting enough sleepwhich reduces our susceptibility to stress. Quitting stimulants, especially alcohol and cigarettes, also has a positive effect on the circulatory system.

Technology will help us stay healthy

Modern technology can be helpful in health prevention. Nowadays, smartwatches monitor the quality of our sleep, physical activity and pulse. The newest ones can even measure blood pressure and perform a single-lead ECG. Thanks to this, you can notice any irregularities much earlier and consult a doctor – increasing the chances of quick and effective cure.

A pedometer, sleep analysis, but above all, heart rate (pulse) are something I especially recommend to women who use smartwatches. There is no better way to reduce your heart rate than regular physical activity. I also recommend ECG monitoring to check for atrial fibrillation and screening blood pressure measurements. The results are presented in a simple and accessible way – using colors on the watch screen. The color change itself will tell us whether it is a reason to consult a doctor. The data collected by smartwatches is the essence of the so-called “self-management”, i.e. taking care of and managing your own health, but also an important help for the doctor. All this leads her and me – the doctor – to a common goal – proper diagnosis, matching methods of prevention, and sometimes also treatment.

– adds prof. Ph.D. med. Krzysztof J. Filipiak.

According to the saying “prevention is better than cure”, it is worth taking care of the health of the circulatory system in advance. Using new technologies that constantly monitor the condition of our body allows us to notice any disturbing signals even earlier.

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