Heart surgeon shares the four things he 'absolutely avoids' in life that can cause serious health issues

A medical expert who is providing information about heart attacks has shared the four things he 'absolutely avoids' as a cardiac surgeon.

Heart and circulatory diseases cause a quarter of all deaths in the UK, according to the British Heart Foundation (BHF).

That worrying statistic means there's 'more than 170,000 deaths each year' because of it.

"Coronary heart disease (CHD; also known as ischaemic heart disease) is the most common type of heart disease," the BHF explain.

"It is the most common cause of heart attack and was the single biggest killer of both and men and women worldwide in 2019."

While assessing what preventative measures are out there, cardiac surgeon Dr. Jeremy E. London (@drjeremylondon) has opened up on the four things he avoids on a regular basis.

Smoking

The doctor says smoking is the 'single worst thing you can do for your entire body'.

"[It] destroys your lungs, causes lung cancer, high cardiovascular risks, heart attacks and strokes. Don't smoke," he said in a recent TikTok video.

Smoking happens to be the leading cause of preventable illness and death in the UK.

Drinking Alcohol

Dr London says he's cut out the booze completely and he doesn't regret it.

"Alcohol. Hate to break it to you, toxic," he says. "Toxic to every cell in your body.

"Your body, your rules, you decide for yourself.

"For me, personally, removing alcohol from my life has probably been one of the most transformative decisions I've made as an adult.

"All the cool kids are doing it. Give it a shot."

ONS stats show that, in 2022, the number of deaths related to alcohol in England and Wales reached an all-time high at 7,423.

Consuming soft drinks

Harvard health reports that people who drink more than five sugar-sweetened soft drinks a week may be more likely to have signs of early heart disease compared with people who drink just one.

Without giving much of an explanation on this one, Dr London said: "Soft drinks, liquid death. Just don't drink them. Period. Done."

Avoiding bread and pasta

Dr London said: "Number four, avoid breads and pastas. Avoid the refined flours and wheats. 80 percent of weight control is diet. 20 percent is exercise.

"I guarantee you, you can out eat any exercise that you do. So be conscious about what you're putting in your mouth."

A common cause of heart attacks is having high blood pressure, which is sadly more prominent for obese individuals.

According to the WHO, a body mass index (BMI) over 25 is considered overweight, and over 30 is obese.