Dr Zoe Astroulakis has spent two decades saving the lives of patients who have had heart attacks. As a consultant cardiologist at St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and New Victoria Hospital, she wishes patients would take their health more seriously in midlife, instead of waiting to make changes too late.
After Jeremy Clarkson, 66, revealed he was treated for heart issues in hospital during the filming of the latest series of Clarkson’s Farm, Astroulakis shares the eight things all midlife men should know about keeping their hearts healthy.
Swap ‘bad’ fats for healthy ones – and don’t pile pasta on your plate
You don’t need to eat a fat-free diet to protect your heart. The key is to reduce your saturated fat consumption and choose healthier polyunsaturated fat alternatives. Reduce your dairy and red meat intake (beef, pork and lamb), and swap in lean meat such as chicken, oily fish, olive oil, avocados, unsalted nuts and seeds.
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