Read More: William Faulkner, writer: “You don’t love someone for their virtues, but in spite of their flaws,” and his view on love still unsettles couples today<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nThat is why this debate reaches beyond hospitals. Martin Men\u0161\u00edk, co-founder of the Institute of Change, frames longevity as a workplace and skills issue, too, because longer active lives change what companies need from employees and managers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Slovakia\u2019s heart gap<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Cardiovascular diseases<\/a> affect the heart and blood vessels. That includes heart attacks, strokes, and heart rhythm problems that can become dangerous before a person realizes what is happening.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe 2025 State of Health in the EU profile, produced by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies in cooperation with the European Commission, reports that cardiovascular diseases and cancer were the leading causes of death in Slovakia in 2023. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Together, they caused more than two-thirds of all deaths, and the burden of heart disease was described as high.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Across the European Union, official public health information says cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of death, claiming about 1.7 million lives each year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Slovakia, that wider picture is not distant policy talk. It is the background noise behind family dinners, work shifts, and the fear that someone \u201ctoo young\u201d might not come home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prevention has to be routine<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The cardiologist argues that doctors should assess cardiovascular risk during routine preventive checkups every two years. A risk score is not a magic number, it is a practical estimate built from clues such as age, blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking, and mental strain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said he helped prepare a standard procedure for systematic risk monitoring that was adopted by Slovakia\u2019s Health Ministry. The idea was to reward doctors if they lowered a patient\u2019s risk before the next checkup, but he said the payment mechanism was never properly put into practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eurostat data show why this matters. In 2023, ischemic heart diseases<\/a>, a common type of heart disease caused by poor blood flow, were among the top causes of both treatable and preventable deaths in the EU.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/okdiario.com\/metabolic\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/doctor-longevity-habits-heart-health-1.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
Rather than relying solely on diet, experts emphasize that consistent morning movement, strength training, and mindful fat consumption are key to reducing heart disease risk.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nSleep is not optional<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
One of the clearest points from the interview is also one of the easiest to underestimate: sleep is prevention, not laziness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The American Heart Association includes healthy sleep among its key measures of heart health<\/a> and says most adults need seven to nine hours a night. Poor sleep can feed stress, worse food choices, lower motivation to move, and higher blood pressure risk, which is a loop many workers know too well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRead More: It’s not which magnesium is best, it’s which one your body actually needs for sleep, anxiety or constipation, and here’s how to choose<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nThe cardiologist said older adults often wake at 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning and struggle to fall back asleep. His advice was simple and low-cost: try breathing exercises, slow exhaling, and meditation before reaching for pills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Three habits to start<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
His three everyday habits are not flashy. He recommends 15 minutes of morning exercise, limiting animal fats, especially saturated fats, and strength training at least three times a week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 2025 State of Health in the EU profile, produced by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies in cooperation with the European Commission, reports that cardiovascular diseases and cancer were the leading causes of death in Slovakia in 2023. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Together, they caused more than two-thirds of all deaths, and the burden of heart disease was described as high.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Across the European Union, official public health information says cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of death, claiming about 1.7 million lives each year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Slovakia, that wider picture is not distant policy talk. It is the background noise behind family dinners, work shifts, and the fear that someone \u201ctoo young\u201d might not come home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prevention has to be routine<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The cardiologist argues that doctors should assess cardiovascular risk during routine preventive checkups every two years. A risk score is not a magic number, it is a practical estimate built from clues such as age, blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking, and mental strain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said he helped prepare a standard procedure for systematic risk monitoring that was adopted by Slovakia\u2019s Health Ministry. The idea was to reward doctors if they lowered a patient\u2019s risk before the next checkup, but he said the payment mechanism was never properly put into practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eurostat data show why this matters. In 2023, ischemic heart diseases<\/a>, a common type of heart disease caused by poor blood flow, were among the top causes of both treatable and preventable deaths in the EU.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the clearest points from the interview is also one of the easiest to underestimate: sleep is prevention, not laziness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The American Heart Association includes healthy sleep among its key measures of heart health<\/a> and says most adults need seven to nine hours a night. Poor sleep can feed stress, worse food choices, lower motivation to move, and higher blood pressure risk, which is a loop many workers know too well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The cardiologist said older adults often wake at 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning and struggle to fall back asleep. His advice was simple and low-cost: try breathing exercises, slow exhaling, and meditation before reaching for pills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n His three everyday habits are not flashy. He recommends 15 minutes of morning exercise, limiting animal fats, especially saturated fats, and strength training at least three times a week.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSleep is not optional<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Read More: It’s not which magnesium is best, it’s which one your body actually needs for sleep, anxiety or constipation, and here’s how to choose<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Three habits to start<\/h2>\n\n\n\n