7 Strategies to Prevent Heart Disease

Almost half of adults in the United States Heart disease, by American Heart Association.. And while it’s the leading cause of death in the United States, it doesn’t mean it’s inevitable.

Some risk factors, such as family history, gender, and age, cannot be changed, but some important heart disease precautions can be taken to mitigate the risk. By adopting today’s healthy lifestyle, you can avoid future heart problems.

here 7 Heart Disease Prevention Strategies To get you started.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death, but it is not inevitable. While you cannot change some risk factors such as family history, gender, or age, there are many ways to reduce your risk of heart disease.

Let’s start with the following 7 tips for improving your heart health.

1. Do not smoke or use

One of the best things you can do for your heart is to quit smoking or use smokeless cigarettes. Avoid indirect smoking, even if you are not a smoker.

The chemicals in tobacco can damage the heart and blood vessels. Cigarette smoke increases blood pressure and heart rate because the heart needs to work harder to reduce oxygen in the blood and provide enough oxygen to the body and brain.

There is also good news. The risk of heart disease begins to decline just one day after quitting smoking. After a year without tobacco, the risk of heart disease is reduced to about half that of smokers. No matter how long or how much you smoke, you will be rewarded as soon as you quit smoking.

2. Get started: Aim for at least 30-60 minutes of activity daily

Regular daily physical activity can reduce your risk of heart disease. Physical activity helps control weight and reduce the likelihood of developing other conditions that can strain the heart, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes.

If you haven’t been active for a while, you may need to work slowly until you reach these goals, but in general, you should at least aim for:

• Moderate aerobic exercise, such as walking at an active pace for 150 minutes each week
• 75 minutes of intense aerobic exercise per week, such as running
• Strength training sessions at least twice a week

Even shorter attacks of activity provide heart benefits, so don’t give up if you don’t meet those guidelines. Traveling in just 5 minutes is effective, and activities such as gardening, housekeeping, stairs, and walking dogs are all counted in total. You don’t have to work hard to be effective, but you can get more out of it by increasing the intensity, duration, and frequency of your workouts.

3. Eat a diet that is good for your heart health

A healthy diet helps protect the heart, improve blood pressure and cholesterol, and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. A heart-friendly diet plan includes:

• Vegetables and fruits
• Beans or other legumes
• Lean meat and fish
• Low-fat or non-fat dairy products
• Whole grain
• Healthy fats such as olive oil

Two examples of heart-friendly food plans are a diet (DASH) diet to stop high blood pressure and a Mediterranean diet.

Limit your intake of:

• salt
• sugar
• Processed carbohydrates
• alcohol
• Saturated fats (included in lean meats and full-fat dairy products) and trans fats (included in fried fast food, chips, baked goods)

4. Maintain a healthy weight

Being overweight-especially in the middle of you-increases your risk of heart disease. Excessive weight can lead to conditions that increase your chances of developing heart disease, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes.

One way to tell if your weight is healthy is to calculate your body mass index (BMI). BMI uses your height and weight to determine if your body fat percentage is healthy or abnormal. Ah BMI Over 25 are considered overweight and are generally associated with high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.

Abdominal circumference also helps measure the amount of fat in the abdomen. If your waist readings are greater than the following, your risk of heart disease is high.

• 40 inches (101.6 cm, or cm) for men
• 35 inches (88.9 cm) for women

Even a small amount of weight loss is beneficial. A 3% to 5% weight loss will reduce certain fats (triglycerides) in the blood, lower blood sugar (glucose), and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. Losing also helps lower your blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels.

5. Get a good night’s sleep

Lack of sleep is not just about yawning. It can harm your health. People who do not get enough sleep are at increased risk of obesity, high blood pressure, heart attack, diabetes, and depression.

Most adults require at least 7 hours of sleep each night. Make sleep a top priority in life. Protect it by scheduling your sleep, going to bed every day, and waking up at the same time each day. Keep your bedroom dark and quiet to make it easier to sleep.

If you feel like you’re getting enough sleep, but you’re tired all day, ask your doctor if you need an assessment of obstructive sleep apnea, which can increase your risk of heart disease. Signs of obstructive sleep apnea include loud snoring, short periods of respiratory arrest during sleep, and awakening of air gasping. Treatment of obstructive sleep apnea includes weight loss in the case of overweight and the use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), which keeps the airways open during sleep.

6. Manage stress

Some people deal with stress in unhealthy ways, such as overeating, drinking, and smoking. Finding alternative ways to manage stress, such as physical activity, relaxation exercises, and meditation, can help improve your health.

7. Get regular health checkups

High blood pressure and high cholesterol can damage your heart and blood vessels. But without testing them, you probably won’t know if these conditions exist. Regular screening will tell you what your number is and if you need to take action.

• blood pressure. Regular blood pressure screening usually begins in childhood. From the age of 18, blood pressure should be measured at least once every two years to screen for high blood pressure as a risk factor for heart disease and stroke. If you are 18 to 39 years old and have risk factors for high blood pressure, you may be screened once a year. People over the age of 40 also have a blood pressure test every year.
• Cholesterol level. Adults usually measure cholesterol at least once every 4 to 6 years. Cholesterol screening usually begins at age 20, but earlier testing may be recommended if there are other risk factors, such as a family history of early-onset heart disease.
• Type 2 diabetes screening. Diabetes is a risk factor for heart disease. Doctors may recommend early screening if there are risk factors for diabetes, such as a family history of obesity or diabetes. If your weight is normal and there are no other risk factors for type 2 diabetes, it is recommended that screening begin at age 45 and be retested every 3 years.

If you have symptoms such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or diabetes, your doctor will prescribe medication and recommend a lifestyle change. Take your medication as prescribed by your doctor and follow a healthy lifestyle plan.