Yasuko Morimoto writes:
The most important issue for T is
to understand that his condition is serious. He was diagnosed as suffering
from early atherosclerosis, the condition that cholesterol deposits begin
to accumulate along the inner walls of the arteries, which may be the beginning
of coronary heart disease (CHD). T is also a heavy smoker and does not
do any exercises. Current cigarette smoking and physical inactivity are
obvious risk factors for CHD. And smoking accelerates arteries thickening
by more than 10 years. Though he thinks he is too young to pay attention
to his health, his arteries may be 10 years older than that of people who
never smoke. He is now in the first stage of coronary disease, and smoking
can make disease go even faster.
Besides these problems, lack of exercise and heavy smoking, there are some
concerns regarding his heart condition. First, he has high blood pressure
(170/100) now, which is one of the risk factors for CHD. Second, he is
such a person that he is likely to develop heart disease: he is a Type
A person, who tends to be overworked, high-achieving, and having little
relaxation. All of these traits are probably making his blood pressure
high. His mother died after heart by-pass surgery complicated by hardening
of the arteries. So he has a family history of high blood pressure, and
probably high cholesterol intake. He also has a problem in that he pays
little attention to his health.
To remove his pain in the neck and upper chest areas, which may be connected
with atherosclerosis, and to make himself feel better, he should quit smoking,
do regular exercise as he has already noticed. It is also effective for
him to change his diet and relax to calm down. Smoking accelerates thickening
of the arteries and results in atherosclerosis and CHD. Doing some exercise
and maintaining a healthy diet may reduce LDL level, which can delay atherosclerosis.
He may enjoy jogging in the morning, which also could give him an appetite.
Then he may enjoy a healthy breakfast, such as wholegrain breads, vegetables,
low fat milk and fresh fruits. Because he is a Type A person who is likely
to develop high blood pressure and some gastrointestinal diseases, he could
die of Karo-shi; he should relax himself. If he likes animals, having
a dog may give him a good chance to relax.
In the long term, he should keep this advice and change his attitude gradually.
The most important thing for him not to develop CHD is to recognize that
he is responsible for his own health.
He seems to drive himself so hard. He may also think that considering one's
health is an issue for older people, and he is not as old as those who
consider such things. But he is a heavy smoker and smoking accelerates
hardening arteries by more than a decade. In addition to his older arteries,
he has been diagnosed hypertensive and has early atherosclerosis. He may
have a stroke or even a heart attack in the future if he does not change
his attitude. Considering these things, improving his health will not decrease
his achievement, but may in fact increase his ability to work efficiently
and have a good effect on his co-workers.
He should get more interested in his current condition and understand that
he can prevent coming down with CHD by his own effort.
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