Heart disease majority regrets unhealthy life

If they could turn back time, 86 percent of those with heart disease would have paid more attention to their health. Given the diagnosis, many regret their unhealthy lifestyle.

18/01/2011

The Siemens Health Insurance SBK has interviewed their patients with cardiac insufficiency for their lives with a sick heart. It turned out: Only 14.4 percent would have changed their way of life, had they known in advance that they are suffering from heart.Precaution and a healthy lifestyle - often preached, but in everyday life, the inner bastard is not always so easy to overcome. Only in retrospect, many say: If I had only lived differently, then I would feel better now. This is the result of a survey among insured SBK.

Those affected had their lives mainly in the following areas: They would have reduced the stress and on a better work-life balance (49.8 percent), would have gone to the doctor (44.3 percent), would have been healthier (42.8 percent) and not smoked (42.3 percent).

It was not until the diagnosis that most people were startled and changed their lifestyle: 87.6 percent of the respondents said that they had actually changed something. About half of the participants (51.2 percent) reportedly changed their diet after diagnosis. Over two-thirds (71.1 percent) moved regularly from then on, while only 26.9 percent constantly exercised. The movement was and will be much more integrated into everyday life. From then on, 92.5 percent regularly took their medications and have strictly adhered to their doctor's instructions. (Preventive) studies are always perceived by 88.5 percent of respondents. More than half (52.7 percent) of those affected also pay attention to having less stress in everyday life - but only 19.9 percent can be enthusiastic about supporting stress reduction through regular relaxation exercises. An important factor was again smoking. 42.3 percent of respondents stopped responding after hearing about their heart disease. For the analysis, SBK interviewed 750 of its insured persons who are enrolled in the SBK MedPlus KHK treatment program due to coronary heart disease or chronic heart failure. The focus of the survey was the lifestyle change in heart disease. (Pm)

Image: Gerd Altmann / PhotoshopGraphics / Pixelio.de