Medical experts emphasize lifestyle changes to prevent heart disease

Medical experts emphasize that cardiovascular health is a lifelong lifestyle commitment rather than a condition to be treated only after symptoms appear. Cardiologist Serdar Biçeroğlu notes that regular physical activity, balanced nutrition, and avoiding smoking are fundamental to heart health, aligning with recommendations from the World Health Organization and the American Heart Association.

Biçeroğlu also highlights the impact of psychosocial factors, stating that chronic stress and sedentary modern lifestyles significantly increase health risks. He advises reducing time spent at desks and increasing daily movement.

Additionally, Associate Professor Gamze Akkuş warns about the dangers of high cholesterol, which often progresses for years without symptoms. While some cases of familial hyperlipidemia may show physical signs like fatty deposits around the eyes or skin folds, many patients only realize they have high cholesterol when they experience a heart attack or stroke.

Akkuş recommends lifestyle interventions as the first line of defense, specifically highlighting the Mediterranean diet and the DASH eating plan—which focuses on limiting salt while increasing potassium, calcium, and magnesium—before resorting to medication.