Food is an integral part of our daily lives. It can represent sustenance, fuel, or comfort. It is the feature of so many events: a social occasion, a family gathering, a celebration, an observance. Food can be great fun, great art, or even a great big problem: Life is made sweeter by treats, but it is not ideal for unhealthy foods to dominate someone’s diet. In general, it is important to fuel your body with healthy and nutritious foods. For those at risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), a nutritious diet is of utmost importance: globally, 1 in 10 deaths related to CVD are the direct result of excessive salt in the diet.1
CVD is a massive topic that encompasses a variety of conditions and diseases, such as hypertension and stroke.2 Because of this, there are naturally a number of risk factors associated with the probability of developing CVD. Among these risk factors, diet plays a substantial role.2 According to a large body of scientific evidence, nutrition could be key in preventing CVD and lowering mortality rates related to CVD: diet may even have the power to reverse heart disease.2 Diet can also help manage other risk factors associated with a higher risk of CVD, such as excess weight and diabetes.2 The scientific evidence is clear: identifying ideal nutrition and diet can help with CVD prevention.2
However, eating nutritious and healthy foods can be an overwhelming subject. Not only is it difficult to change eating habits, but everyone is different and therefore may have different dietary needs. Gladly, there is a set of healthcare workers uniquely qualified to guide people toward living their longest, healthiest, and best lives: dietitians (who assess, diagnose, and treat dietary and nutritional problems) and nutritionists (who are qualified to provide information about food and healthy eating).3 These healthcare workers collaborate with individuals first to evaluate current diets and then to plan and follow improved diets that better align individual eating habits with positive health outcomes.4 Dietitians and nutritionists can work one-to-one with clients or more comprehensively with groups or entire communities.4
Dietitians and nutritionists help educate their clients on how to improve health and treat conditions as well as give practical, personalised advice.4 However, diet is only one facet of a complex series of issues that make up CVD risk.2At Daiichi Sankyo, we have identified three areas that we believe deserve greater attention with regard to their potential positive impact on limiting the burden of CVD: nutritional care (as discussed previously), psychology (mental health), and physical fitness. For CVD, it is essential to treat a whole person, not just individual eating habits, stress levels, or exercise routines. To demonstrate our commitment toward empowering people with CVD through holistic care, Daiichi Sankyo launched a holistic care report in September that details ways in which nutrition, mental health, and physical health affect those with CVD, as well as collaborative ways to address these issues.
At Daiichi Sankyo, we care for every heartbeat. By extension, we care for every aspect of a person’s health that contributes to a healthy and thriving heart. We recognise that treating CVD is a demanding task with many challenges. Therefore, Daiichi Sankyo is proud to announce that we are collaborating with the European Nutrition for Health Alliance (ENHA) to take part in their Optimal Nutritional Care for All (ONCA) Supporter Program 2023/2024 campaign, which takes a holistic view of personal health. The campaign is set to establish a pan-European initiative that encompasses nutrition, cardiovascular care, and primary and secondary prevention. Together, our goal is to advance optimal nutritional care across Europe and create better outcomes for patients. Living with CVD touches so many aspects of a person’s life, and Daiichi Sankyo aspires to offer support for all of those aspects.