A doctor has urged people to reconsider and change unhealthy habits in the wake of Jeremy Clarkson’s recent heart surgery.
The “Clarkson’s Farm” frontman alarmed his followers last week when he revealed experiencing unsettling signs such as clamminess, a “tightness” in his chest, and “pins and needles” sensation in his left arm, prompting him to seek hospital care.
After undergoing an ECG and X-ray, doctors discovered one of Clarkson’s heart arteries was completely obstructed, with another on the verge of being blocked. Hospital staff quickly intervened, warning the 64-year-old presenter that he was mere “days away” from potentially serious illness and proceeded to install a stent to ensure arterial flow.
Following his brush with danger, Clarkson has publicly discussed his intentions to adopt a healthier diet and increase his water intake in his Sunday Times column.
Dr Idrees Mughal, popularly known as Dr Idz, has offered his insights into preventing dire health incidents similar to Clarkson’s case, arguing that it’s never too late for change.
He advised: “Heart disease doesn’t just occur overnight, heart disease occurs over decades, literally decades of cholesterol being deposited into your arteries, you know, plaque building up slowly, until your arteries are blocked to the point where you need surgery or you have a heart attack.
“It starts, literally, when you’re born. So, if you get a handle on your lifestyle early on, then you have to keep things under control for a long time.
“Having a poor diet for 40 years and then all of sudden doing these lifestyle tips, over the last year, you’re not going to have cured or prevented anything really, because your risk of heart disease is about your lifestyle over your entire life, it’s not what about you’re doing today.”
However, starting now can help prevent further harm, as he elaborates on how one can deter further damage to their heart.
“You can’t make a U-turn, you can just prevent any further progression of heart disease,” he advised. Keeping your cholesterol in check is crucial, with emphasis on maintaining low LDL levels.
Although past damage to arteries cannot be reversed, he added: “You can’t reverse any plaque that has already built up, but you can stop any further plaque from being laid down.
“So obviously, that shouldn’t be a sign of hopelessness for people, ‘Oh my god it’s too late, I’ve already had 50 years of poor eating’.”
Dr Idz’s prevention strategy includes increasing intake of antioxidants and polyphenols, abundantly found in berries and seeds.
Dr Idz’s top tips on steering off heart disease
- Maintaining a healthy weight and keeping LDL (low-density lipoproteins) cholesterol levels low
- Regular exercise, which can help slightly reduce blood cholesterol levels
- Keeping saturated fats low e.g. reducing fatty cuts of meat and dairy-saturated products from your diet
- Increasing fibre and unsaturated fats with foods such as; fruit, vegetables, whole grains, beans and legumes
-
Increasing the amount of antioxidants and polyphenols found in the likes of berries and seeds
- Choosing more healthier fats over unsaturated fats such as; avocados, vegetable olive oil, nuts and seeds
Dr. Idrees Mughal, a UK-trained medical doctor with a master’s degree in nutritional research and board certification in lifestyle medicine, shares his health advice and debunks myths on TikTok (@dr_idz) and Instagram (@dr_idz).