Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. Take steps today to lower your risk of heart disease.
To help prevent heart disease, you can:
Eat healthy
Get active
Stay at a healthy weight
Quit smoking and stay away from secondhand smoke
Control your cholesterol and blood pressure
Drink alcohol only in moderation
Manage stress
Am I at risk for heart disease?
Anyone can get heart disease, but you’re at higher
risk if you:
Have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or
diabetes
Smoke
Are overweight or have obesity
Don't get enough physical activity
Don't eat a healthy diet
Your age and family history also affect your risk
for heart disease. Your risk is higher if:
You’re a woman over age 55
You’re a man over age 45
Your father or brother had heart disease before age
55
Your mother or sister had heart disease before age
65
But the good news is there's a lot you can do to
prevent heart disease.
What Is Heart Disease?
When people talk about heart disease, they’re
usually talking about coronary heart disease (CHD). It’s also sometimes called
coronary artery disease (CAD). This is the most common type of heart disease.
When someone has CHD, the coronary arteries (tubes)
that take blood to the heart are narrow or blocked. This happens when
cholesterol and fatty material, called plaque, build up inside the arteries.
Several things can lead to plaque building up
inside your arteries, including:
Too much cholesterol in the blood
High blood pressure
Smoking
Too much sugar in the blood because of diabetes
When plaque blocks an artery, it’s hard for blood
to flow to the heart. A blocked artery can cause chest pain or a heart
attack. Learn more about CHD
Manage excess body fat
Research in the Journal of the American College of
Cardiology has linked excess belly fat to higher blood pressure and unhealthy
blood lipid levels. If you’re carrying extra fat around your middle, it may be
time to make lifestyle adjustments. Eating fewer calories and watching your
portion sizes more can make a big difference.
Include fiber into your diet
According to the Mayo Clinic, a diet rich in
soluble fiber can help lower your level of low-density lipoprotein, or “bad
cholesterol.” Sources of soluble fiber include beans, oats, barley, apples,
pears, and avocados.
Make time for breakfast
The first meal of the day is an important one.
Eating a nutritious breakfast every day can help you maintain a healthy diet
and weight. To build a heart-healthy meal, reach for:
whole grains, such as oatmeal, whole-grain cereals,
or whole-wheat toast
lean protein sources, such as turkey bacon or a
small serving of nuts or peanut butter
fruits and vegetables
Eat fish
Eating a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids can also help
ward off heart disease. Many fish, such as salmon, tuna, sardines, and herring,
are rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids.
Try to eat fish at least twice a week, suggests the
AHATrusted Source. If you’re concerned about mercury or other contaminants in
fish, you may be happy to learn that its heart-healthy benefits tend to
outweigh the risks for most people.
Eat nuts
Almonds, walnuts, pecans, and other tree nuts
deliver a powerful punch of heart-healthy fats, protein, and fiber. Including
them in your diet can help lower your risk of cardiovascular disease.
Remember to keep the serving size small, suggests
the AHATrusted Source. While nuts are full of healthy stuff, they’re also high
in calories.
Limit your salt intake
If the entire U.S. population reduced its average
salt intake to half a teaspoon a day, it would significantly cut the number of
people who develop coronary heart disease every year, report researchers in the
New England Journal of Medicine.
The authors suggest that salt is one of the leading
drivers of rising healthcare costs in the United States. Processed and
restaurant-prepared foods tend to be especially high in salt.
So think twice before filling up on your favorite
fast-food fix. Consider using a salt substitute, such as Dash, if you have high
blood pressure or heart failure.
Reduce your saturated fat intake
Slicing your saturated fat intake to no more than 7
percent of your daily calories can cut your risk of heart disease, advises the
USDA. If you don’t normally read nutrition labels, consider starting today.
Take stock of what you’re eating and avoid foods that are high in saturated
fat.
Instead, you can switch your unhealthy fat intake
with healthy fats, such as avocados, olive oil, and eggs.
Drink tea
No magic is needed to brew a cup of green or black
tea. According to the AHATrusted Source, drinking one to three cups of tea per
day may help lower your risk of heart problems. For example, it’s linked to
lower rates of angina and heart attacks.
Eat dark chocolate
Dark chocolate not only tastes delicious, it also
contains heart-healthy flavonoids. These compounds help reduce inflammation and
lower your risk of heart disease, suggest scientists in the journal Nutrients.
Eaten in moderation, dark chocolate — not
oversweetened milk chocolate — can actually be good for you. The next time you
want to indulge your sweet tooth, sink it into a square or two of dark
chocolate. No guilt required.
Incorporating exercise into your routine
Move your body throughout the day
No matter how much you weigh, sitting for long
periods of time could shorten your lifespan, warn researchers in the Archives
of Internal MedicineTrusted Source and the American Heart AssociationTrusted
Source.
Couch potato and desk jockey lifestyles seem to
have an unhealthy effect on blood fats and blood sugar. If you work at a desk,
remember to take regular breaks to move around. Go for a stroll on your lunch
break, and enjoy regular exercise in your leisure time.
Practice yoga
Yoga can help you improve your balance,
flexibility, and strength. It can help you relax and relieve stress. As if
that’s not enough, yoga also has potential to improve heart health.
According to research published in the Journal of
Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative MedicineTrusted Source, yoga has
the potential to reduce one’s risk of cardiovascular disease.
Try strength training
Aerobic fitness is key to keeping your heart
healthy, but it’s not the only type of exercise you should do. It’s also
important to include regular strength training sessions in your schedule.
The more muscle mass you build, the more calories
you burn. That can help you maintain a heart-healthy weight and fitness level.
Try interval training
Start and stop, then start and stop again. During
interval training, you alternate bursts of intense physical activity with bouts
of lighter activity. The Mayo Clinic reports that doing so can boost the number
of calories you burn while working out.
Try dancing
Whether you prefer a rumba beat or two-step tune,
dancing makes for a great heart-healthy workout. Like other forms of aerobic
exercise, it raises your heart rate and gets your lungs pumping. It also burns
up to 200 calories or more per hour, reports the Mayo Clinic.
Engage in sexual activity
That’s right, having sex can be good for your
heart. Sexual activity may add more than just pleasure to your life. It may
also help lower your blood pressure and risk of heart disease.
Research published in the American Journal of
CardiologyTrusted Source shows that a lower frequency of sexual activity is
associated with higher rates of cardiovascular disease.
Go for a walk
The next time you feel overwhelmed, exasperated, or
angry, take a stroll. Even a five-minute walk can help clear your head and
lower your stress levels, which is good for your health. Taking a half-hour
walk every day is even better for your physical and mental health.
Take the stairs
Exercise is essential for good heart health, so why
not sneak it in at every opportunity? Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
Park on the far side of the parking lot. Walk to a colleague’s desk to talk,
instead of emailing them.
Play with your dog or kids at the park, instead of
just watching them. Every little bit adds up to better fitness.
Use housework as exercise
Vacuuming or mopping the floors may not be as
invigorating as a Body Slam or Zumba class. But these activities and other
household chores do get you moving.
They can give your heart a little workout while
burning calories, too. Put your favorite music on and add some pep to your step
while you complete your weekly chores.
Be a kid
Fitness doesn’t have to be boring. Let your inner
child take the lead by enjoying an evening of roller skating, bowling, or laser
tag. You can have fun while burning calories and giving your heart a workout.
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