Heart & Circulation

If your cholesterol is high, you might be prescribed a statin such as atorvastatin or rosuvastatin.

All medicines can cause side effects in some people, but the majority don’t have any problems taking statins.

The most common side effects include headaches, dizziness, nausea, digestive and sleep problems, muscle pain, and feeling tired and physically weak.

But if you find your symptoms bother you, it’s important to speak to your doctor for advice.

Studies show that a low dose of aspirin can thin the blood, helping to lower your chances of developing a heart attack or a stroke, caused by a blood clot.

It’s shown to work in those who are at high risk of heart attacks and strokes, or those who suffer from angina (chest pain caused by heart disease).

Taking low-dose aspirin to prevent heart attacks and strokes is not the same as taking aspirin as a painkiller - make sure you follow your doctor’s advice.

If your circulation is poor, it will slow down the blood flow throughout your body, meaning that the cells and organs can’t get the oxygen they need to function as they should.

If you smoke, quit - nicotine is very harmful to your artery walls and thickens the blood so that it can’t reach your body’s key functions.

Cardiovascular exercise can boost the flow of circulation throughout your body, too.

If you’re sitting at a desk all day, take regular breaks to walk around and try wearing compression socks or elevating your legs from time to time, which helps to encourage the blood vessels to pump blood up to your heart.

If you think you are having a heart attack, firstly ensure you have called for emergency help.

But while you are waiting for help to arrive, taking aspirin can lessen the damage caused by the heart attack due to it being a blood thinner.

You should take 300mg of crushed, uncoated aspirin to enable the fastest results.

However, if you are allergic to aspirin, don’t take it, even if you are having a heart attack.