#1 Killer: Heart disease & stroke

By 2030, 23.4 million people will die from heart disease and stroke compared with 11.8 million from cancer, according to the World Health Organization. In fact, four chronic diseases - heart disease and stroke, cancer, chronic obstructive lung disease and diabetes - now account for 60% of all deaths worldwide. By 2020, the 'big 4' are expected to account for 73% of deaths.

Heart disease, stroke and other vascular diseases are Canada's number one public health threat, according to the Canadian Heart Health Strategy and Action Plan. Not surprisingly, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases (CV diseases) kill more Canadians each year than any other illness. 90% of Canadians over age 20 have at least one risk factor for CV disease. Now, 5% of Canadians reports being diagnosed with a CV disease, but the actual number with undetected heart disease is much higher (Manuel et al., 2003).

However, 80% of CV diseases are preventable. Among the recommendations for a healthy heart are regular exercise, a healthy diet high in vegetables and fruits, and low in fatty foods, limited alcohol use, and the elimination of smoking and recreational drugs:

Eating a heart-healthy diet low in salt saturated fat and cholesterol
Eating at least 5 servings of fruits/veggies per day
Quitting smoking and avoiding second-hand smoke
Losing weight if you are overweight
Get regular physical activity - at least 2.5 hours per week
Drink less alcohol or stop completely
Use less salt

In a study published in the American Journal of Medicine, researchers from the Medical University of South Carolina tracked the lives of roughly 16,000 adults.

In the short time of follow-up of four years, the overall death rate was a healthy 40 % lower in those who followed all the healthy lifestyle practices compared to their peers who followed none.

"That's a terrific difference in mortality when you take into account that the study only lasted 4 years and the "spread" would likely go up significantly if these people were to be followed for a longer period, as it has proved in nearly all longer-term studies such as the Nurses Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study," says Dr. Art Hister, Chief Medical Editor for HealthyCanada.com.

"Bottom line, folks: no escaping that leading a healthy lifestyle can significantly extend your life expectancy."