Real Health Podcast: A guide to a disease-free and healthy heart with Cardiologist, Dr Paddy Barrett

On the Real Health podcast this week, I am joined by author of the new book ‘Heart: An Owner’s Guide’, consultant cardiologist based in Black Rock Clinic, Dr. Paddy Barrett.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death globally and in most developed nations, but it's also the most preventable for 80-90 per cent of the population. 90 per cent of it can be prevented at an early stage if you just follow the right steps.

Early in the conversation Dr Barrett explained what is meant by cardiovascular disease. He said, “We're talking here about plaque in the coronary arteries or your heart arteries. The issue is that when people have risk factors like cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes. The more risk factors you have, the higher likelihood you will develop plaque buildup in your coronary arteries. The more plaque you have in your coronary arteries, the higher the risk of an event like a heart attack or a stroke.”

The cardiologist told me that the book is asking the reader to set goals as part of the process. “It's about asking yourself, what is your goal? How do you intend to hit it? Are you hitting the actual metrics of input across the risk factors in terms of exercise, nutrition, sleep, stress, cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugars, etc. Are you then going to get the benefit? And what specific actions do you need to take for your particular requirements?” he said.

You can listen to the full episode here or wherever you get your podcasts.