The biggest threat to your heart might not be what you eat or how stressed you feel, but what you do the moment you open your eyes each morning, a doctor has warned.
Dr Sana Sadoxai, a medical professional with over 42,000 followers on TikTok where she shares health advice, has issued a stark warning about morning routines.
According to the doctor, a staggering 90 per cent of heart attacks can be traced back to one simple habit; remaining motionless after waking up.
"The real danger starts the moment you wake up and stay still," she explained in a recent video posted to the platform.
Dr Sadoxai warned that the danger starts the moment you wake up
|GETTY / TIKTOK
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The typical morning pattern for most people involves going straight from bed to scrolling on their phone, then sitting down before rushing out the door.
Dr Sadoxai warned that this keeps the body trapped in what she describes as a low-movement, high-inflammation state.
In other words, this combination can quietly wreak havoc on your metabolism and cardiovascular system without you even realising the damage being done.
"This one habit secretly accelerates insulin resistance, belly fat accumulation, high blood pressure, silent inflammation, (and) metabolic dysfunction, all of which dramatically increase the risk of early heart attacks, especially if you are overweight or obese," she said.
Fortunately, people don't have to spend hours at the gym or undergo a complete lifestyle overhaul to protect their hearts.
Dr Sadoxai recommends just five to seven minutes of gentle movement each morning to make a real difference.
"Brisk walking, stretching, breathing exercises boost circulation, activate metabolism, stabilise sugar levels, and protect your heart more than people realise," she explained.
The doctor stressed that weight, metabolism and heart health are all deeply interconnected.
"Ignoring this morning habit is a silent threat. Changing it is lifesaving," she added, urging anyone experiencing obesity, persistent belly fat, breathlessness, diabetes or fatigue to take these early metabolic warning signs seriously.
The scale of heart disease in Britain is truly sobering. According to the British Heart Foundation, coronary heart disease claims more lives than any other condition globally, affecting both men and women equally.
Approximately 100,000 hospital admissions each year due to heart attacks
|GETTY
In the UK alone, around 480 people die from heart disease every single day – that works out to someone losing their life every three minutes.
The annual toll reaches more than 170,000 deaths, with coronary heart disease being the leading cause of heart attacks.
NHS figures paint an equally concerning picture, with approximately 100,000 hospital admissions each year due to heart attacks, averaging one admission every five minutes across the country.
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