From March to June, employees from science and administration can attend numerous events on the subject of heart health - from first aid for strokes and nutrition tips to sports programmes. Registrations are still open.
How does a heart-healthy diet work? Do the symptoms of cardiovascular disease differ between men and women? What should you do if a colleague in the office needs first aid because there are signs of a heart attack or stroke? A new series of company health management programmes is dedicated to these and many other questions.
Between March and June, more than 20 lectures, workshops, check-ups and sports programmes will be offered on the topic of heart health. "Preventative measures are particularly important to us," says Leon Hoffmann, who is coordinating the project together with Inga Stelter and Maike Santelmann for the University's Occupational Health Management department. Many of the offers are linked to the internal resources of the UOL: School VI, the AGBS staff unit and university sports. All programmes are free of charge. Registration for the events takes place via PEOE.IP.
The heart as the motor of blood circulation
The heart does amazing things. As the motor of blood circulation, it beats constantly and without pause around 100,000 times every day, transporting up to 10,000 litres of blood through the body. With its pumping performance, it ensures that all organs, tissues and the smallest cells in the body are supplied with oxygen, vitamins, messenger substances and minerals.
However, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in Germany, accounting for around 40 per cent of all deaths. Risk factors include pre-existing conditions such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity and lipometabolic disorders. However, certain behaviours that can be influenced in everyday life also play a role, such as lack of exercise, smoking, alcohol consumption, stress and an unhealthy diet.
The series of events organised by the company health management team focuses on how preventative behaviour can help in this context. For example, current recommendations for a sustainable heart and vascular healthy diet are discussed in workshops, and a look is taken at salt, sugar, cholesterol levels, saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. A lecture will shed light on how anger and negative feelings in everyday academic appointments and private life affect heart health, but can also be regulated. And a first aid course teaches how to care for people affected by heart attacks and strokes - especially if something like this happens in everyday working life.
