Doctor warns of 'silent killer' after explaining ‘single worst thing you can do to your body’
A doctor has warned about the 'silent killer' many people don't even know is doing damage to them as he listed his big three preventable risk factors for death.
Who wants to live forever? That's a question best left to the philosophers, but many people would at least like to make it to somewhere around their average life expectancy.
Speaking on YouTube, Dr Jeremy London listed the three biggest preventable things that contributed to someone's death as well as what someone could do to really make the most of them being 'preventable'.
He said: "Top three preventable risk factors for all cause mortality: smoking, poor diet, and high blood pressure."
Advert
Dr London described high blood pressure as the 'silent killer', saying that in the US it 'affects one in two' while 'most have no idea' they even have it.
That doesn't mean it's not having a serious impact on your health as he said it 'damages the heart, brain and kidneys' and you need all of those functioning properly to live a healthy life.
"The good news, it's highly modifiable through lifestyle, diet, stress management, and medication when necessary. Be proactive, not reactive," he urged people, which is the bright side of things.
Unfortunately a lot of people don't, and that has a lot to do with the other two preventable factors in dying early.
You probably already know this but in case you don't, smoking increases your risk of high blood pressure each time you do it and can build up plaque inside your arteries.
If high blood pressure is the 'silent killer' then according to Dr London smoking is the 'worst offender' as he called it 'without question the single worst thing you can do for your body'.
Not only does it make your blood pressure worse which increases your risk of a heart attack or a stroke, the doctor said it 'damages nearly every organ system' and of course the damage it does to your lungs is well documented.
"Roughly one in five deaths are linked to tobacco use. If you smoke, think long and hard about quitting. It's the most powerful step you can take for your health," he said.
Your diet is also a big driving factor in your health, naturally.
The doctor said: "Diets low in fruits and vegetables, high in trans fats, and ultraprocessed foods contribute to the same proportion of deaths as smoking, mainly from cardiovascular disease.
"Food is information for your body. Design a nutritional plan that works for you and be thoughtful about what you put in your mouth."
You only get one body, so look after it.
Topics: Health
Joe Harker