Strategies to Prevent Heart Disease

Heart disease is one of the primary reasons for death. While some of the risk factors are natural and cannot be changed, such as age, sex, and family history, there are preventive measures to lower the risk. For instance, a healthy lifestyle goes a long way to protect your heart. Here are five tips from Clinica Medica Samaritana to maintain a healthy heart:

1. Do Not Smoke or Vape

We will start with the most common advice: avoid smoking or vaping. Non-smokers should steer clear of secondhand smoke.

Tobacco in cigarettes and e-liquid in vaping devices contain toxic chemicals that can damage the heart and blood vessels, lowering the oxygen in the blood and increasing heart rate and blood pressure. The chemicals hinder oxygen supply, making the heart work harder to keep the brain and body functioning.

Will smoking cessation work now that you have been smoking for years? Yes! It will.

Immediately after you quit smoking, the risk of heart disease falls. One year without smoking will reduce the risk of heart disease to approximately half that of a smoker. It is never too late to reap the benefits of a smoker/vape-free lifestyle.

2. Follow a Heart-Friendly Diet

Reduce the risk of heart disease even further by taking up a healthy diet, which will help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and maintain good blood pressure and healthy cholesterol levels. Eat these:

• Fruits and vegetables
• Beans and legumes
• Fish and lean meat
• Whole grains
• Fat-free or low-fat dairy products
• Avocado, olive oil, and healthy fats

Make additional changes to your diet chart. While you include the above, you have to eliminate some items. Reduce these:

• Alcohol
• Sugar and sweetened beverages
• Salt and high-sodium meals
• Highly refined carbohydrates
• Highly processed foods like processed meat
• Saturated fat, found in full-fat dairy, red meat, and coconut and palm oil
• Trans fat found in food like chips and fries

3. Increase Physical Activity

Do only athletes know the reward of working out? No, many people who don’t go to the gym also engage in daily physical activities to improve their heart health.

Exercising helps manage your body weight and reduce the risk of other conditions that may strain the heart, including type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.

How long have you spent without being active? If it has been a few days, it is time to start moving. A general goal is:

• 150 minutes of moderate exercise like speed-walking every week.
• 75 minutes of vigorous activity like running.
• More than two strength training sessions, like weight lifting, every week.

Going to the gym 5-6 days a week could greatly benefit your overall health, but if you are not a lifter, you can participate in the above routine. If, for any unforgiving reason, you cannot do these, focus on moving around for at least 5-10 minutes whenever you can in a day. Walking the stairs, walking your dog, doing household chores, or even gardening helps.

4. Get Quality Sleep

Did you know that those who sleep less have a higher risk of different problems, like depression, high blood pressure, obesity, and even heart attack?

On average, an adult needs at least seven hours of daily sleep. Ensure that you are getting enough rest. Many people complain they can’t sleep even if they try. If you face the same problem, you can prepare a sleep schedule and follow it religiously.

Go to bed and wake up at the set times every day. Keep the bedroom quiet and dark to make it easier to drown into sleep. A reliable cardiology care Los Angeles will tell you that even if you don’t feel sleepy after lying down for an hour, stick to the routine every day. You will eventually get accustomed to the rest and fall asleep.

Those who sleep enough but are still tired the whole day need to be tested for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a condition that can raise the risk of heart disease. Symptoms of OSA include loud snoring and gasping for air in sleep.

5. Manage Stress

It’s easy to ask others to not stress, but it is extremely common to fail at not stressing out—and ongoing stress plays a significant role in higher blood pressure and other risks for heart disease.

Do not cope with stress like some people who overeat, smoke, or drink to drown it; these make things worse. There are other ways to manage it. Instead, indulge in healthy habits like yoga, exercise, and meditation. You could also pick up a good hobby like reading, painting, or music.

In case your stress is beyond its limit and has shaped into depression or anxiety, seek professional advice while following the above tips.

Must Read: Top 5 Lifestyle Changes to Improve Your Cholesterol