Changing Attitudes Toward Cardiovascular Disease1

By Sternberg Steve

1. In the middle of the twentieth century, medical research showed that there was a clear
association between cardiovascular disease, or CVD–which includes heart disease,
high blood pressure, and stroke–and lifestyle. This awareness initiated a shift in
attitudes toward health care. Health experts began to emphasize the idea that people
could take control of their own health instead of relying on medical help. By paying
attention to factors such as smoking, stress, nutrition, and exercise, everyone could
reduce their chance of having CVD. People listened. As a result, many more people
now recognize the correlation between a healthy–or unhealthy–heart and lifestyle.

2. Various behavioral changes demonstrate this shift in attitude. Many people are no
longer depending on doctors for advice and treatment; instead they are focusing on
preventive measures and taking responsibility for their own health. A greater
understanding of the connection between diet and health has led many to reduce or
even eliminate food high in fat and cholesterol from their diets. Similarly, people are
also becoming more serious about reducing stress, a known risk factor for CVD. An
increasing number of people understand that regular and frequent aerobic exercise like
walking, running, and swimming reduces stress. This is because aerobic exercise not
only increases physical fitness but also releases endorphins, a natural substance that
helps people reduce stress and feel better.

3. These changes in attitudes and behavior have had a positive effect. Deaths from CVD
first began to fall in western countries in the 1960s, and this trend continues today. In
the United States, the death rate from this disease fell by more than 35 percent
between 1980 and 1997 and then by another 26 percent between 1999 and 2005. In
2010, 6 percent of adults suffered from some form of CVD, down from 6.7 percent in
2006. However, it should be noted that this research conducted by the U.S.-based

1 http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-01-22-heart-disease-N.htm
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Center for Disease Control (CDC) indicates that although the occurrence of CVD has
decreased significantly, less-educated citizens suffer from this disease at rates well
above the national averages. Other western countries have found similar patterns
among their populations.

4. Another reason for falling mortality rates from CVD is better diagnosis and treatment.
Advances in technology and medical science make early detection possible, which is
key in allowing doctors to better treat the disease. Moreover, new drugs are more
effective in lowering blood pressure and cholesterol and are becoming more
accessible to people worldwide. This is one cause for optimism about the future of this
disease.

5. However, the news about CVD is not all positive. In spite of the fall in death rates, CVD
is still much too frequent in most western countries. In Europe, for example, CVD
remains the leading cause of death, claiming the lives of more than 4 million
Europeans every year. The second piece of bad news is that CVD has also become
much more prevalent in developing countries, with 80 percent of all CVD deaths now
occurring there. Rapid social change in these areas has led to risk factors that are
associated with CVD, factors including a decrease in physical activity, and increase in
smoking, and a shift to a less healthy diet. By 2010, CVD had become the single
greatest cause of death in the developing world, and the WHO projects this will
continue for at least the next two decades.

6. What are governments doing to fight this terrible disease? The global effort to inform
people of the benefits of a healthy lifestyle continues. As people become better
educated, they can choose lifestyles that avoid high CVD risk. Governments are also
introducing specific changes aimed at reducing unhealthy lifestyles. The British
government collaborated with industries to reduce the amount of salt in manufactured
food by 25 percent. In Mauritius, a government program encouraged the nation to
switch from palm oil, high in saturated fat, to healthier soybean oil. In Japan, the
government has created programs to reduce salt intake and to increase early detection
of CVD. As a result, stroke rates have fallen by 70 percent in Japan since the 1970s.

7 Changes in attitudes toward personal health and a greater understanding of the link
between health and lifestyle have had promising outcomes in many countries.
However, little doubt remains that a global strategy to fight CVD is necessary since the
disease still accounts for more deaths than any other disease. Governments need to
do more to control the use of tobacco and to reduce the intake of foods high in fat,
sugar, and salt. Individuals also need to take more control of their own health and
make healthy lifestyle choices when possible. These changes would lead to benefits at
individual and national levels.

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Match the main ideas below to the paragraphs in the reading selection. Write the number
of the paragraph on the blank line.

_____ a. As a result of changes in attitudes and behavior, mortality rates from CVD are
decreasing.

_____ b. Governments in many countries have introduced programs aimed at lowering

CVD.

_____ c. A global strategy is needed to fight CVD at both national and individual levels

_____ d. People have changed their lifestyle in order to lower their risk of CVD.

_____ e. CVD remains a serious problem in both developed and developing countries.

_____ f. People changed their attitudes toward health care for they recognize the link
between a CVD disease and a lifestyle.

_____ g. Accurate diagnosis and better treatment also explain falling death rates from
CVD.

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Look back at the reading selection to answer the following questions.

1. When was it first found that there was a clear link between CVD and lifestyle? (par 1)
_________________

2. As a result of the research findings, people were encouraged to ______________

rather than seeking medical help. (par 1)

3. People believe that those who do not smoke, are not stressed, and exercise regularly
will have _________ hearts. (par 1)

4. What are the examples of behavioral changes as indicated in paragraph 2?

5. ___________________ can reduce stress. (par 2)

6. What is endorphin? (par 2) _________________

7. The fall in deaths from CVD started in the 1960s and still ___________ today. (par 3)

8. What happened between 1980 and 1997? (par 3)

_____________________________________

9. In most countries, those who suffered from CVD were ______________. (par 3)

10. Doctors are able to better treat CVD because of _______________. (par 4)

11. In Europe, more than 4 million people die from ____________ every year. (par 5)

12. Risk factors linked to CVD in developing countries are mostly due to ___________.
(par 5)

13. One way to help people avoid high CVD risk is to __________ them. (par 6)

14. People who take in more salt risk having a __________. (par 6)

15. What can governments do to fight CVD? (par 7)

____________________________________________

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A: Definitions
Match the definitions on the right with the words on the left.
a. a type of solid, liquid or gas that has
1. account for (phr.v.) particular qualities
b. a connection between two things in
2. effective (adj.) which one thing changes as the other
does
c. showing that something is pleasant and
3. substance (n.) helpful in some way
d. to remove or get rid of something or
4. lifestyle (n.) someone
e. to show something clearly by giving
5. frequent (adj.) proof or evidence
f. the way in which a person or a group of
6. connection (n.) people lives and works
g. occurring or done many times at short
7. eliminate (v.) intervals
h. a slight change in position, direction, or
8. project (v.) tendency

9. intake (n.) i. a period of ten years

j. producing the result that is wanted or
10. demonstrate (v.) intended; producing a successful result
k. estimate or forecast something on the
11. shift (n.) basis of present trends
l. an amount of food, air, or another
12 decade (n.) substance taken into the body

13. promising (adj.) m. harmful to health

14. unhealthy (adj.) n. showing signs of future success

15. positive (adj.) o. to be the explanation or cause of

something

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B: Words in contexts

Choose the words from Exercise A to complete the sentences. Sometimes you need
to change the ending (e.g. ed or ing) of the word to make it grammatically correct.

1. The poor weather may have ______________ the small crowd.

2. A growth rate of 4% is ___________ for next year.

3. She let go of a potentially ___________ musical career

4. He is a ___________ visitor to this country.

5. The ____________ that's causing the problem comes from the barley.

6. If you think you may be allergic to a food or drink, _____________ it from your diet.

7. There has been a big __________ in attitudes towards sex during the past 50 years.

8. The people are just starting to rebuild their lives again after ____________ of
oppression.

9. The way we decorate our house reflects our personality and _____________.

10. The study also _____________ a direct link between obesity and mortality.

11. Avoid ____________ foods such as hamburger and chips.

12. The increase in carbon dioxide emissions may ___________ changes in the climate

13. Reduce your ___________ of salt, sugar, and junk foods.

14. I have always kept my optimism and my ___________ approach to life.

15. You need more _____________ communication within the organization.

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C: Choosing grammatically correct form

From the list of inflected forms in parentheses, choose the form that grammatically fits into
the space. Add endings (–s or –ed, for example) if necessary.

1. (medicine, medical, medically):

1.1 The form should be signed by a person who is __________ qualified.

1.2 Several police officers received _________ treatment for cuts and bruises.

1.3 I was interested in alternative _________ and becoming an aromatherapist.

2. (rely, reliable, reliability):

2.1 The school has to ________ on the goodwill of the parents to help it raise
money.

2.2 Price alone is not a _________ indicator of quality.

2.3 Rolls-Royce cars are famous for their quality and __________.

3. (vary, various, variety):

3.1 Application forms _________ greatly in layout and length.

3.2 I suppose you ix with a wide ___________ of people in your job.

3.3 After the party I collected up twenty bottles from __________ parts of the
house.

4. (nature, natural, naturalize):

4.1 She has lived in Australia for a long time, and recently she was __________.

4.2 He lives in close communication with ___________.

4.3 Floods and earthquakes are ____________ disasters.

5. (signify, significant, significantly):

5.1 Is there any __________ difference in quality between these two items?

5.2 Employment levels are unlikely to rise ___________ before the end of next
year.

5.3 Nobody really knows what the marks on the ancient stones _________.

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6. (diagnose, diagnosis, diagnostic):

6.1 Despite undergoing several tests, doctors were unable to __________ her
condition.

6.2 The engineer examined the washing machine for some time before giving me
his ___________.

6.3 The specialists use computerized ___________ equipment to look for problems
in the most sophisticated parts of cars.

7. (prevail, prevalent, prevalence):

7.1 This attitude still ___________ among the middle classes.

7.2 These diseases are more ____________ among young children.

7.3 We investigated the ____________ of smoking among teenagers.

8. (inform, information, informative):

8.1 This is an interesting and highly ____________ book.

8.2 We'll ___________ you when a decision has been reached.

8.3 Please contact our agent in Spain for further ____________.

9. (introduce, introduction, introductory):

9.1 An ____________ course in word processing is for those who have not done it
before.

9.2 New measures have been _____________ to try and ease traffic congestion in
the city.

9.3 Company profits have doubled since the ____________ of new technology.

10. (benefit, beneficial, beneficiary):

10.1. Breast-feeding is extremely __________ to the health of newborn babies.

10.2 Her husband was the chief ____________ of her will.

10.3 She studied every evening and reaped the __________ at exam time.

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Aerobic exercise2
‘Aerobic’ exercise refers to exercise that requires the consumption of substantially more
oxygen than at rest. It involves repeated rhythmic movements of the large muscles of your
body, such as those in your arms or legs.

Examples of aerobic exercise include

brisk walking;
jogging;
swimming;
cycling;
dancing;
cross-country skiing;
ice-skating;
kayaking;
roller-blading; and
aerobic dance (often simply called aerobics).

Cholesterol3
Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that's found in all the cells in your body. Your body
needs some cholesterol to make hormones, vitamin D, and substances that help you
digest foods. Your body makes all the cholesterol it needs. Cholesterol is also found in
foods from animal sources, such as egg yolks, meat, and cheese.

Endorphins4– a hormone produced in the brain that reduces the feeling of pain
They were found in between the 70’s and in 1977 Roger Guillemin and Andrew
W. Schally. They won Noble price for their research and findings or endorphins .
Endorphins are endogenous opioid peptides that function as neurotransmitters.
Endorphin has the same structure as that of Morphine drug which is taken by the
people to reduce pain signals. In reality endorphins are endogenous Morphine, a
morphine released within the body by pituitary gland. Endo – endogenous and orphin
– morphin, meansmorphine secreted within our body.

2http://www.mydr.com.au/sports-fitness/aerobic-exercise
3https://medlineplus.gov/cholesterol.html
4 Rokade, P.B. (2011). Release of Endomorphin Hormone and its effects on our body and moods: a review. International
conference on chemical, biological and environment science (ICCEBS'2011) Bangkok Dec., 2011

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