In the UK, approximately 7.6 million people live with heart disease.¹

Heart disease is a collective term for any condition that affects the heart and blood vessels. Some examples of heart disease are:

• Coronary heart disease
• Atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat)
• Heart attack
• Heart failure
• Vascular dementia
• Arrhythmia (problems with heartbeat).¹

There are biological and environmental factors that can increase your risk of heart disease, including:

• Smoking
• Having high cholesterol
• Living a sedentary lifestyle
• Having an unhealthy diet
• Excess alcohol intake
• Being overweight or obese
• Having a family history of heart disease
• Being a man or born a genetic male
• Having South Asian or sub-Saharan African heritage
• Being over 50
• Having a health condition such as hypertension (high blood pressure), rheumatoid arthritis, severe mental health conditions and PCOS.²

Being overweight or obese is a major risk factor for your heart health. Excess weight can put strain on your heart – making it work harder and less effectively.

It can lead to the buildup of harmful visceral fat (stomach fat) around your organs. Where a small amount of this fat is important for protecting your organs, too much can lead to complications.

Visceral fat can enter your arteries and harden them as you gain weight. It can also damage other blood vessels – making it more difficult for blood to move freely around your body. This can lead to high cholesterol, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.^3,4

Over time it can weaken your heart and cause complications like inflammation, heart failure or atrial fibrillation.^4,5

Losing weight if you are overweight or obese can lead to:

• A reduction in fatty deposits in your arteries
• A more efficient metabolism
• Lower blood pressure
• Improvements to the thickness of your heart muscle.^7,8

This can improve your levels of cholesterol as well as making you feel healthier and less tired.⁷

Losing weight can also reduce your risk of heart disease, circulatory disease and cancer.⁹

Diet

Your diet is central to weight loss. Being mindful about the types of foods you’re eating is one of the easiest ways to change your lifestyle. Cutting out foods that are high in saturated fat and refined sugars are two simple ways to clean up your meals and make them healthier.

Using the Mediterranean and DASH diets as sources of food inspiration can help you if you’re finding it hard to cook healthier meals. They both focus on eating nutritionally balanced meals and controlling your portion size.

Physical activity

Exercise can help lower your blood pressure, reduce your risk of diabetes and inflammation and improve your bodyweight.¹²

The more active to you are, the easier it becomes for your muscles to extract oxygen from your bloodstream. This puts less strain on your heart, and, over time, your resting heart rate and blood pressure should improve.¹²

If you’re unsure of where to start, you can get get advice from professionals like personal trainers. Or you can do things as simple as walking instead of taking a lift or swimming.

To stay motivated, you can set achievable goals that don’t only focus on your weight. You might want to complete 15 minutes of strength training every day or want to walk up the stairs at home without feeling breathless. These are examples of targets that you can work towards without feeling overwhelmed.

NHS heart health initiatives:

The NHS Health Check programme is a free check-up of your general health. It assesses your risk of heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease or stroke. The service is available to people between 40 and 74 without a preexisting medical condition. Your GP will invite you for your health check every 5 years.

British Heart Foundation:

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) is a UK-wide organisation designed to help people understand different types of heart disease, risk factors and preventative measures. They have a range on online resources as well as a helpline and local community groups.

Local weight management services:

You can speak to your GP about any local weight management services. Your community may have support groups or exercise classes you can join to help you on your way.