Understanding Cardiovascular Diseases

Cardiovascular diseases are a group of ailments which involve the heart or the blood vessels, for example, hypertension, stroke, rheumatic heart disease peripheral artery disease and other related illnesses. It is considered as a significant contribution of global mortality. The necessary contrivances are different relying on the ailment. Peripheral artery disease, stroke, and coronary artery disease associated with atherosclerosis which may be caused by poor dietary habits, excessive use of alcohol, lack of exercise, diabetes, high blood pressure and other related issues. Research has indicated that 90% of cardiovascular diseases can be prevented (Amtmann, Armengaud & Volkov, n.d.).    Atherosclerosis can be prevented by progressing the risk elements involved in the limited use of alcohol, proper exercise, healthy eating and avoiding the use of tobacco. Medicating risk elements like blood pressure, blood lipids and diabetes are advantageous. The risk of rheumatic heart disease can be reduced to treating individuals suffering from strep throat using antibiotics.

Cardiovascular diseases are known to be the primary causes of death globally in all places of the universe except in Africa. The conditions have been increasing in advancing nations at a given age which is a common phenomenon. Stroke and coronary heart ailments account for 80% of cardiovascular diseases in men and 75% of cardiovascular diseases’ death in women. Deaths caused by cardiovascular diseases are high in nations which have low socioeconomic income. Investigations have shown that by 2030 pass away through cardiovascular diseases every year. Many organizations are working together to create awareness about cardiovascular diseases (Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), 2018

Cardiovascular diseases have many risk elements including maturity, sex, smoking tobacco, physical inactivity, hypertension, excessive use of alcohol, poor diet, genetics, and high blood pressure and many others. Individual involvement of every risk varies between various societies is constant. Some of the peril elements like maturity gender and history of the family are unchangeable. However, many peril elements are easy to modify by changing the lifestyle drug medication such as preventing hypertension among others and social change (Centers, 2011).

Excessive use of salt is also considered a high contributor to cardiovascular diseases. It causes high blood pressure which in turn leads to cardiovascular ailments (Daviglus, 2012). Too much intake of salt has a direct impact on blood pressure. When the blood pressure is high, it strains the heart arteries, brains and kidney and when the sodium level is increased, the volume of the blood also increases hence the organ ejects less water in regards to diluting the sodium in the blood. The added amount enhances blood pressure. This can lead to dementia, kidney diseases, and strokes. Research has indicated that taking too much salt means that blood pressure medicines like diuretics could not work the way it should.

Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Diseases

The mineral is vital in the maintenance of fluid balance within the body cells, contraction of muscles and transmission of nerve impulses. It also plays a crucial role in assisting the digestive system to consume nutrients. People are advised to take 1,500 milligrams significantly. The healthy life is essential to prevent obesity which may cause cardiovascular-related diseases. (Obesity, n.d.).

The United Kingdom Food Standards Agency initiative will be used to address this problem of high salt intake. A scheme was created to deal with the salt decrease. The system had a competent leadership politically and included three significant elements: setting objectives and working with all food industry departments to redevelop foods to minimize salt levels; fostering progressed nutrition labeling usage to encourage the users to make healthier decisions; working with non-governmental organizations (NGO) and creating consumer awareness and the authorities to increase awareness of salt as a health predicament and also encourage good diet behavior and invigorate lower salt levels foods demand (Nordqvist, 2018)

Salt is acquired from processed food in the United Kingdom and other western nations.  Any salt reduction scheme in countries like the United Kingdom must include galvanization actions to redevelop such food as it is essential. The Financial Service Authority started this engagement by developing a salt model published in 2003. It was designed to inform discussions with the food industry on decreasing the content of salt in foods and to demonstrate the reduction size that is needed in various commodity groups to enhance the 6/d aim to be attained across the population. The model described the many foods which contribute to United Kingdom salt intakes with the regular level of salt. For each group and the contribution percentage, each group made to regular consumption with the information for every measured to take responsibility of the various levels of utilization of different foods within every category ( He, Brinsden & MacGregor, 2013). It also involved the ‘descriptive regular aim level for every group; if these were attained across all these commodities within this group, together with an estimated 40%(1g) decrease in consumers mandatory usage of salt, the 6/g objective intake for adults could be attained. The significant focus constituted those food groups giving most salt in the United Kingdom diet although all food groups supplying to the consumption of salt of the population were involved in the model   (Mary-Anne et al., 2018). The salt model proved that getting the average of the population intake objective of 6g/d would need a much attempt by creators, retailers and food outlets as well as encouraging context supported by the government to aggregate consumer participation.

The Impact of Salt on Cardiovascular Diseases

Creation of public awareness executed by the Financial Service Authority that aimed to: increase the knowledge of the users’ about the association between the salt and wellbeing; encourage consumers to take lower-salt commodities and provide them education on what they can do to decrease their salt intakes and how lower-salt decisions are made. The campaign aimed at adding public awareness of the perils of high salt intake. The users are always encouraged to check the salt content label of personal meals. It also focused on appraising the users that 75% of the salt they take is already in the food they buy hence they should always be alert about the levels and choose foods with lower salt (Petersen, 2008).

Financial Service Authority worked with the stakeholders to scrutinize on how good to give additional data on the front of packs of food to assist the users to make healthy decisions between 2004 and 2006.  A principal-based step for the voluntary provision of a front of packs nutrition labeling to help users make ‘at a glance’ healthy decisions using a traffic light color coding in March 2006. The front of packs always shows the number of grams of saturated fat, sugar, salt and fat in a section of the commodity and some also give enlightenment on energy. Some labels are accompanied by this direction with the traffic light colors to show whether the nutrients level is high, medium or low and others show the contribution of a section of the commodity represents regarding the guideline daily amount percentage of the essential nutrients. Products with more greens and ambers and reds represent healthy decisions. The red/amber division is based on United Kingdom Dietary Reference Values. The green norm reflects values set in the EU Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation [EC no.1924/2006]. A section of UK producers and sellers introduced FOP voluntarily that comply with some of the suggestions. Concerning the informative factors used within them, the different front of packs labels in the United Kingdom business premises majorly differed. The introduction of a front of packages labels has assisted in the redevelopment of the product activity and has encouraged many producers and sellers to enhance a broad scope of foods that are healthy for the users to buy and that this further enlightenment is acknowledged and valued by their consumers.

A logic model will be created to explore the inputs and outputs and impacts of the initiative. The model will be able to show the process of generating solutions through an understanding of the problem and what could be done concerning this issue (Rema et al., 2011)

Preventing Cardiovascular Diseases through Lifestyle Changes

The model’s significant input involves dedicated personnel, proper funding, and excellent infrastructure in the form of organization. The United Kingdom Food Standards Initiative will work together with the government and health departments to establish a framework for salt decrease action. The government and other non-governmental organizations will also fund the initiative and ensure that there is good infrastructure.

. Activities involve research and schemes. Creation of excessive salt intake definition is essential. A study is an important issue as it gives more information about salt intake and its effects on human body. Strengthening research for excessive salt intake and the present report will enhance our comprehension about positive and negative impacts. For schemes, partnerships will be created to achieve the desired aim (Goeschel, William, & Peter, 2012).

This involves the public which needs to be informed about the sodium intake and other related issues. The public will enhance their enlightenment about the relationship between cardiovascular diseases and salt intake.

The logic model will portray the assumption that through the research and scheme actions in preventing cardiovascular diseases. The society can get an understanding that minimizing the use of salt is essential to the body and is necessary for maintaining a healthy life. The model will also show that cardiovascular diseases prevention can be reinforced through partnerships with other organizations. The organizations will work for hand in hand with the government to educate people concerning healthy lifestyle (Publications | The George Institute for Global Health, n.d.).   

Various interventions in the system of prevention of high blood pressure, individuals and societies will be able to live a healthy lifestyle. The model ensures that there are strategies that will help in achieving the required goal. They will be implemented to weaken the effect of poor health on the risk habits that could lead to cardiovascular ailments comorbidities. Individuals with cardiovascular diseases get a sense of emancipation to maintain healthy habits. People have a firm comprehension of the natural relationship between salt intake and cardiovascular diseases.

Eventually, the activities which involve research and schemes will result in vital progressions in the health of the country. Human beings and societies will be more robust that is to be able to transform into a drastic and ordinary nuisance. Quality of life should be individually aimed at intervention regardless of the life chances of people in targeting enhanced quality of life. It is acknowledged there is no health without the proper intake of salt in defining the use of salt as effects (Singapore Health Services – www.SingHealth.com.sg, n.d). Health care systems will be developed at all levels to remove barriers that will hinder the practical development of the present methods. The development of the healthcare system will enhance easy access to healthcare services.

Preventing Cardiovascular Diseases through Medication

Various barriers have been identified such as lack of cooperation among the personnel, government, department of health and non-governmental organizations. Some of them might be reluctant in executing the initiative due to ignorance. They might argue about the matter in regards to the effect of a salt decrease in microbiological safety of foods and the users’ acceptance of salt decreased meals. There are also technological barriers that may hinder the application of the initiative because other low socioeconomic countries have not developed progressively in the recent years (Trieu et al., n.d.).  Due to this, some health systems are not developed hence many individuals are exposed to cardiovascular diseases.  Thus all the departments should ensure that there is cooperation needed towards the implementation of the United Kingdom initiative to reduce salt intake in individuals.

To identify barriers or enablers to this initiative, a problem has to be identified and defined.  The state of the question needs to be understood in more comprehensive terms because it may not be visible. Individuals may lack information to determine the underlying issue that is affecting them. They should prepare the statement of the problem and find experts that can be trusted to review it. The causes of the problem should also be considered so that it can be able to be solved appropriately and at the required time (Woodward, n.d.). Organizations and individuals affected by the predicament must be able to come forward and highlight the issue so that the decision makers can be able to find a solution to the barriers.

A qualitative design will be the appropriate design to evaluate this initiative because it is the most malleable of different techniques that are experimental inclusive of a variety of structures and methods that are accepted (Lewis, 2015).  The UK Food Standards Agency salt reduction strategy will be able to research the excessive use of salt in the universe. This design is more practical when sample sizes are restricted while the quantitative design has no restrictions. Qualitative study design can generate useful information that can assist in the assessment of the initiative (Webster et al., 2014). It allows a more in-depth comprehension of this initiative.  This is important for public health because the researchers can understand clearly in regards to salt intake and cardiovascular diseases.  It has improved the communication between the government and the departments for the successful implementation of the initiative.

Quality treatment is essential to assess the effect of the initiative on health in the United Kingdom. Quality medication will depend on the number of people getting treatment due to cardiovascular diseases. The assessment will depend on the healthcare services that the people will receive relying on the kind of ailment they suffer. The investigation will base on the wellbeing of the victims and their comfortability (Wynnes, 2011). This means that the community has to get enlightenment to improve their lifestyle. They will be able to maintain low salt intake foods.

Preventing Cardiovascular Diseases through Social Interventions

Acceptance of the individuals to take foods that contain little salt will also have an impact on health as it will decrease the number of people suffering from cardiovascular diseases. This will determine whether the implementation will be successful and to know if the logic model will be relevant to the community or not.  If there are a large number of people who have accepted to purchase foods with a limited amount of salt, then the implementation will be pushed at a faster rate to reduce the victims of the cardiovascular disease.

The outcomes will be assessed using the practical aspect of educating the population about the dangers of using excessive salt and the impact of cardiovascular diseases in regards to health (Don, 1998). Therefore it will focus on the results of the population after treatment. The statistics will be derived from the department of health in the United Kingdom.

Knowledge about a healthy lifestyle is paramount globally. This will assist in getting the attention of the population, and it will create a positive attitude towards health approaches and issues related to health. I will educate the public about the importance of taking a low amount of sugar and encourage them to participate in activities that will represent the outcome of this initiative. I will provide more information about the advantages of living a healthy lifestyle. They will be updated about health issues that arise concerning cardiovascular ailments (Tones, n.d.).   The community will be able to make decisions accordingly whether to accept the outcome or not. Through this, the results of the initiative will have a positive impact towards the wellbeing of the population.

It is vital for the community to understand salt intake in all aspects. Knowledge will help in improving the well-being of the population and explaining the outcomes of the initiative. Health departments are advised to hold successful campaign strategy and form them the use of prevention of cardiovascular diseases (Evaluation, 2018). It is critical for the creation of awareness as it will enhance health-seeking behavior that will help them live a healthy lifestyle as indicated in Explore scientific, technical, and medical research on ScienceDirect. (n.d.). The outcomes have the potential to strengthen primary and secondary prevention.

In conclusion, excess salt intake has been seen as a significant cause of high blood pressure which in turn causes cardiovascular diseases globally. Salt reduction is encouraged so that chronic illnesses will be avoided. Health departments work together with the government and non-governmental organizations to improve the well-being of the community. The initiative is meant to formulate policies that can be implemented to ensure salt is reduced in foods that can be purchased easily. Therefore, health education and awareness will assist in providing enlightenment to the community.

The Importance of Public Awareness

References

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