Hassan Merali

Hassan Merali has been a dedicated volunteer with the Heart and Stroke Foundation for 13 years, and was presented with the 'Heart of Gold' award in April 2012.  He shares his story with us...

"In the early 1980s I was living in Newfoundland. One evening I wasn't feeling well -- I was dizzy and dispirited -- so I called my doctor, who came over to the house. He said my blood pressure was too high, and gave me medication. We didn't realize it, but my wife also had high blood pressure, and she has experienced both heart and stroke problems herself since then. Nowadays, we are very aware that exercise and diet go hand-in-hand with health. I walk quite a bit, I've cut down on salt, and I try to eat less starch and fried foods.  Since 2009 I've lost 30 pounds and my blood pressure is down -- but I monitor it regularly, and keep communicating with my doctor."