What Can You Do To Prevent Heart Disease

Heart Disease Prevention, What You Can Do. Heart disease is often referred to as the “silent killer,” as it may ravage the cardiovascular system for months or even years before being diagnosed by a medical professional. Heart disease is the number one cause of death in America. Over 38% of Americans had high cholesterol between 2013 and 2016. Over 1 billion people worldwide suffered from high blood pressure in 2015. Coronary artery disease affects over 18 million American adults. 1 in 3 Americans has some form of cardiovascular disease. Both “heart disease” and “cardiovascular disease” are considered broad terms used to describe medical conditions that affect the heart. The major types of heart disease include cardiomyopathy, coronary artery disease, heart arrhythmias, and heart failure. Women are more likely to be diagnosed with and die of cardiovascular disease. Coronary heart disease and heart failure are both more prevalent in men. 2 in 3 men will be diagnosed with cardiovascular disease in their lifetime, as compared to 1 in 2 women. Heart disease is considered a lifestyle disease, meaning that lifestyle choices such as diet, exercise, body weight and even sleep are factors that cause many cases of the disease. Prevention of heart disease is possible by making smart choices in self-care. One such example is clogged arteries which can cause heart attacks, where heart arteries get clogged as a result of a poor diet and in the worst case scenarios, blood is blocked from being pumped to the heart resulting in a heart attack. Reducing the risk of developing heart disease often comes down to understanding and therefore reducing the risk factors that are relevant to your life. Eat a Heart-Healthy Diet. As important as it is to cut back on cholesterol, sodium, sugar, and fats, you also want to add heart-healthy foods to your current diet. That includes adding fiber to lower your LDL cholesterol levels, olive oil to raise your HDL cholesterol and omega-3 fatty acids for lower triglycerides levels. Eat a whole food diet that includes healthy fats, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Get 150 Minutes of Exercise Per Week. Endurance exercises like running, biking, and swimming are known for improving heart muscle strength and improving the efficiency of blood flow throughout the body. Get 7 or More Hours of Sleep Per Night, which is known to lower your risk of high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes, all of which are risk factors for heart disease. Get Down to a Healthy Weight. As your weight continues to increase, so does your risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, and elevated blood pressure. Your ideal weight will give you a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9. Cope with stress. Chronic stress kills. Choose a healthy coping strategy like meditation, exercise, or self-expression through the arts to relieve your stress naturally. This can lower cortisol levels and lower your risk of heart disease. Keeping your heart healthy also means taking preventative measures, such as visiting a doctor on a yearly basis to evaluate your cholesterol and blood pressure and take any necessary preventative measures.