Preventing heart disease means making smart choices now that will pay off the rest of your life.
Lack of exercise, a poor diet and other unhealthy habits can take their toll over the years. But anyone at any age can take simple steps to keep their heart healthy during each decade of life. Here's how according to American Heart Association......
Choose a healthy eating plan:
Be physically active:
Learn the warning signs:
It's never too early or too late to learn the warning signs of a heart attack and stroke. Not everyone experiences sudden numbness with a storke or severe chest pain with a heart attack. Heart attack symptoms in women can be different than men.
Find a health care professionals and have regular wellness exams:
Healthy people need doctors too. Establishing a relationship with a physician means you can start heart health screenings now. Talk to your health care team about your diet, lifestyle and any other concerns. Make sure to have them regularly check your blood pressure, cholesterol, heart rate, blood sugar and body mass index.
Be physically active:
It's a lot easier to be active and stay active if you start at a young age. Keep your workout routine interesting by mixing it up and finding new motivators.
Learn the warning signs:
If you smoke, it's time to quit. Even exposure to secondhand smoke poses a serious health hazard. Nonsmokers are upto 30% more likely to develop heart disease or lung cancer from secondhold smoke exposure, according to a U.S. Surgeon General report.
Make heart healthy living a family affair:
Create a sustain heart-healthy habits in your kids and you will reap the benefits too. Spend less time on the couch and more time on the move. Explore a nearby park on foot or bike. Shoot some hoops or walk the dog. Plant a vegetable and fruit garden together and invite your kids into the kitchen to help cook.
Know your family history:
Shake down your family tree to learn about heart health. Having a relative with heart disease increases your risk, especially if the relative is parents or sibling. That means you need to focus on risk factors you can control by maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly, not smoking and eating healthier. Keep your health care professional informed about new heart problems in your family.
Tame your stress:
Long term stress causes an increase in heart rate and blood pressure that may damage the artery walls. Learning stress management techniques benefits your body and your quality of life. Try deep breathing exercises and find daily time to do something you enjoy. Giving back through volunteering also does wonders for knocking out stress.
Watch your weight. You may notice your metabolism slowing down:
You can avoid weight gain by following heart-healthy diet and getting plenty of exercise. The trick is to find a workout routine you enjoy. If you need motivation to get moving, snag a workout buddy.
Have your blood sugar level checked:
In addition to blood pressure checks and other health screenings. You should have a fasting blood glucose test by the time you are 45. This first test serves as a baseline for future tests, which you should have every three years. Testing may be done earlier or more often if you are overweight, diabetic or at risk for becoming diabetic.
Don't brush off snoring:
Listen to your sleeping partner's complaints about your snoring. Sleep apnea, a disorder that causes pauses in breathing during sleep is a common condition. If not properly treated, sleep apnea can contribute to high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.
Eat a healthy diet:
It's easy to sleep into unhealthy eating habits. Make sure you are eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, fiber-rich whole grains, fish (preferably oily fish atleast twice weekly), nuts, legumes and seeds. Try some meatless meals. Also keep in mind that preparing meals at home rather than eating out is usually a good way to eat healthier.
Learn the warning signs of a heart attack and stroke:
Get savvy about symptoms. Not everyone experiences sudden numbness with a stroke or severe chest pain with a heart attack. And heart attack symptoms in women can be different than men.
Follow your treatment plan:
By now, you may have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes or other conditions that increases your risk for heart disease or stroke. Lower your risk by following your prescribed treatment plan, including medications and lifestyle and diet changes.
Learn about PAD:
Staring in your 60s, getting plenty of physical activity can help prevent peripheral artery disease (PAD) or improve it symptoms. PAD is a lesser-known cardiovascular disease in which plaque builds up in the leg arteries.
Watch your weight:
Your body needs fewer calories as you get older. Excess weight causes your heart to work harder and increases the risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol. Exercising regularly and eating smaller portions of nutrient-rich foods may help you maintain a healthy weight.
Learn the warning signs of a heart attack and stroke:
Heart attack symptoms in women can be different than men. Knowing when you are having a heart attack or stroke means you are more likely to get immediate help. Quick treatment can save your life and prevent serious disability.
