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Dont treat your heart disease as your fate. Although there are some risk factors (family history, sex, age) that we are not able to control, there are some risk factors (healthy lifestyle) that we can control. Adopting a healthy lifestyle helps to prevent most of the heart disease in future. Here are some tips for you to prevent disease
Take responsibility for your health
The best method for the prevention against heart disease and stroke is to understand the risks and treatment options. The greatest chance of getting heart disease is your ignorance or misinformation. Hence the first step is to take responsibility for your health.
Know your risks
The most affecting risk factor for heart disease is your age. How older you are, the chance of getting heart disease will be greater. The secondly affecting risk factor for heart disease is your genetic make-up. We all heard that if your parents, grandparents, or other relatives were afflicted with or died of heart disease, diabetes or stroke, your chance of getting heart will be much greater.
Don't smoke or use tobacco
Carbon monoxide present in cigarette smoke can replace some of the oxygen in your blood causing an increase in your blood pressure and heart rate. As a result your heart has to work harder to supply enough oxygen. Hence cigarette smoking and second-hand exposure to smoke increases the chance for getting of heart disease and stroke. Chemicals in tobacco can cause coronary artery disease. Hence using tobacco increases the chance for getting of heart disease.
Maintain a healthy blood pressure
High blood pressure is called as the silent killer. High blood pressure (hypertension) can cause wear and tear for lining of your blood vessels (narrowing of blood vessels) resulting coronary artery disease. Hence higher your blood pressure, the greater will be your chance of getting heart disease.
Monitor your cholesterol
Abnormal or high cholesterol (fats) is regarded as a major contributing factor to cardiovascular disease. There are different types of cholesterol, and the types are
LDL (bad cholesterol)
HDL (good cholesterol or healthy cholesterol)
Triglycerides
For healthy heart, you should lower your LDL cholesterol and should increase your HDL cholesterol. The quantity of cholesterol present in your blood is determined by three factors:
The amount of cholesterol produced by the liver (this factor is mostly genetic),
The amount of cholesterol absorbed from the intestinal tract (some from you eat, but a lot from cholesterol produced by the liver and excreted into the digestive tract)
Age your cholesterol increases with age.
To raise your healthy cholesterol, here are some tips for you
Ask for expert advice - your doctor can provide a plan for healthy eating and exercise.
Give your diet a makeover consume foods such as oatmeal, walnuts, tuna, salmon, sardines, and tofu. Avoid the foods that are rich in trans and saturated fats.
Stop smoking smoking will decrease your good cholesterol, so you should say bye to smoking
Get moving- do regular exercise (for about half an hour). Exercise can lower your triglyceride levels and also can raise your HDL cholesterol. Both of these are good for your heart.
Take your medications- Take your medicine to help lower your cholesterol directed by your doctor
Try supplements consuming high doses of fish oil or krill oil and fiber can lower your triglycerides and cholesterol. Soy protein supplements can lower LDL cholesterol. Take supplements only after asking your doctor.
Limit your calories
Obesity is caused by taking more calories than your body burns. Obesity cause cardiovascular disease.
Make exercise a daily habit
The lack of exercise results in obesity. Exercise helps to burn calorie and also activates the genes that are beneficial to health in other ways. Along with these exercise is regarded as a treatment for depression and anxiety. However, exercise alone cant reduce your weight, so you have to modify your diet along with exercise.
Pick your pills wisely
People believe in alternative medicines because of the way they are marketed. The main problem with many alternative medications is that the patient thinks they are doing something to improve health, when in fact they are not.
Reduce stress
Stress is regarded as a contributing cardiovascular disease. You can reduce your stress by
Regular exercise
Adequate sleep
Striving for a good marriage
Laughing
Volunteering or attending religious services Watching TV or hearing music
Try to avoid situations or people who make you anxious or angry.
Stay informed: Science changes constantly
New techniques and new insights will develop constantly. But dont believe every piece of scientific information you find in the media or advertisements
