6 Ways To Maintain A Healthy Heart




According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, coronary heart disease continued to be the top cause of mortality among persons in the United States as of the year 2022. (CDC). The best way to avoid cardiac (or heart) issues is to take excellent care of your heart health. Certain variables, such as heredity, may make you more susceptible to heart illness; however, the best approach to avoid cardiac (or heart) issues is to take good care of your heart health. According to the American Heart Association, many risk factors are amenable to being adjusted or controlled in some way (AHA).


According to Holly S. Andersen, MD, an attending cardiologist and associate professor of clinical medicine at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medical Center, who was interviewed for this article by Health, "Lifestyle is huge with your heart health." "The study of genetics is less significant than this." The statement made by Dr. Andersen hits the bull's eye: According to the American Heart Association (AHA), approximately 80 percent of cardiovascular disease, which includes heart disease and stroke, can be prevented.


Jennifer Haythe, MD, associate professor of medicine in cardiology at the Center for Advanced Cardiac Care, associate director of the adult pulmonary hypertension program, and director of the cardio-obstetrics program at Columbia University Irving Medical Center is in agreement with this statement. According to Dr. Haythe's interview with Health, "a lot of heart disease is avoidable." If individuals start taking care of their hearts when they are in their 20s, 30s, and 40s, it is likely that they will not require the services of a cardiologist for the majority of their lives.


So, what exactly can you do to improve your heart health and earn a clean bill of health? Here are some suggestions for adjusting your routine so that you can maintain a healthy heart as you become older.


Try to work out on most days of the week.

The American Heart Association (AHA) advises getting at least 150 minutes per week of moderate to vigorous exercise. Can't make ends meet on that? You can train more intensely for a shorter amount of time if you choose to: According to the American Heart Association (AHA), a successful exercise regimen consists of either 75 minutes per week of "vigorous aerobic activity" or a combination of moderate and strenuous workouts.


Keep in mind that the American Heart Association recommended that you spread your activity out over the course of the week rather than trying to cram it all into one or two days. Dr. Andersen once observed that staying active is the key to a long and healthy life. "It increases the effectiveness of your cardiovascular system." If fitting in a full workout each day is difficult for you, Dr. Andersen suggests setting a goal of doing something each day "to get your heart rate up." (The act of walking qualifies as cardio.)


Maintain a Healthy Blood Pressure 

There is a purpose to yearly checkups and exams. According to Dr. Haythe, your primary care physician is the best person to monitor your blood pressure and conduct screenings for indicators of heart disease. It is of the utmost importance to be aware of your blood pressure. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), high blood pressure, often known as hypertension, does not manifest itself in any particular way. Hypertension is the medical term for high blood pressure. If you and your healthcare practitioner are keeping a close eye on your blood pressure, you will be able to react quickly and take corrective action if it begins to rise.


If your healthcare practitioner gives you a diagnosis of high blood pressure, it is vital that you adhere to the guidelines that they provide you. Your healthcare physician may recommend that you make certain adjustments to the way you live or prescribe you medicine in order to treat your condition. If a doctor has recommended medication for you, it is imperative that you take it as directed. You might also want to consider empowering yourself by purchasing a blood pressure cuff that you can use at home so that you can keep a frequent check on your blood pressure.

Make an effort to reduce the amount of stress in your life. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), stress can be hard on your heart, but it can also lead to inactivity and overeating, both of which can lead to high blood pressure and high cholesterol. And that can increase the likelihood that you will develop heart disease.

Despite this, it is not easy to escape stress. Dr. Haythe remarked that everyone is quite stressed out at the moment. "It's not easy." Meditation and deep breathing exercises are two activities that should be incorporated into your daily routine, according to Annapoorna Kini, MD, interventional director of the structural heart program at Mount Sinai Hospital. Both of these activities need very little time on your part.

It's possible that regular "breath training" can help lower blood pressure just as effectively as medication. Here's how to get started.


Assess Your Current Weight

Finding the "Goldilocks zone" when it comes to maintaining a healthy weight for your heart is similar to doing so. According to research that was published in Medicine in 2017, being underweight may increase the likelihood that a person will develop cardiovascular disease (Baltimore). According to the findings of this study, being underweight was defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of less than 18.5 kg/m2.


Although the Body Mass Index (BMI) is used in the study to determine the severity of obesity, the BMI is an outmoded and unreliable measurement. The factors of body composition, ethnicity, sex, race, and age are not taken into account in this analysis. The Body Mass Index (BMI) is still widely used in the medical community despite the fact that it is a biased measure. This is due to the fact that it is an inexpensive and quick way to evaluate a person's potential health status and outcomes.


The risk of developing heart disease can also be increased by carrying excess weight in the form of being overweight or obese. The authors of a 2021 Scientific Statement from the American Heart Association that was published in the journal Circulation wrote that obesity contributes directly to cardiovascular risk factors such as dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and sleep disorders. This statement was published because the authors believed that obesity was directly responsible for these factors. Obesity, on its own and independently of other risk factors for cardiovascular disease, is a leading cause of both the development of cardiovascular disease and death from cardiovascular disease.


However, the authors wrote that obesity is a diverse condition with many different causes. Overall, a person's level of body fat does not, by itself, make them more prone to the cardiovascular complications that are associated with obesity. Individual differences in the way fat are distributed throughout the body also have an effect on heart health.


People who are obese may experience several improvements in heart health if they reduce the overall fat mass of their bodies. Alterations to one's diet and one's routine, such as those involving exercise, are two of the many ways that this can be accomplished. It is important to keep in mind that it is always a good idea to check in with your healthcare provider about the options that are right for you.

Try To Minimize Stress

Make an effort to reduce the amount of stress in your life. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), stress can be hard on your heart, but it can also lead to inactivity and overeating, both of which can lead to high blood pressure and high cholesterol. And that can increase the likelihood that you will develop heart disease.


Despite this, it is not easy to escape stress. Dr. Haythe remarked that everyone is quite stressed out at the moment. "It's not easy." Meditation and deep breathing exercises are two activities that should be incorporated into your daily routine, according to Annapoorna Kini, MD, interventional director of the structural heart program at Mount Sinai Hospital. Both of these activities need very little time on your part.

Don't Smoke

At this point, the vast majority of people are aware that smoking is associated with a wide variety of serious health risks. According to Medline Plus, smoking cigarettes causes an increase in blood pressure and places a person at an increased risk of having a heart attack and a stroke. According to Dr. Kini, smoking is not only detrimental to one's health in general but also to one's heart and lungs. Quitting smoking is the "single most significant thing you can do" to reduce your chance of developing cardiovascular disease, according to Dr. Haythe, who emphasized the significance of this advice.

There are a few contradictory messages floating around on the relationship between alcohol and cardiovascular health. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), there is no evidence that drinking red wine will improve your heart health. However, a study that was conducted in 2017 and published in the journal published by AHA, Circulation, found that drinking one glass of red wine per day may reduce the risk of dying from heart disease. According to Dr. Haythe, "there is a lot of hype about red wine being good for the heart," but in general, alcohol is a toxin to the heart. "[T]here is a lot of hype about red wine being healthy for the heart."


Strive to Get the Appropriate Amount of Sleep

Although the requirements of each individual may vary slightly, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises that the majority of individuals obtain seven to nine hours of sleep each night. If you regularly fall below that, you run the risk of causing damage to your heart. According to Dr. Andersen, "Bad sleep has been related to high blood pressure, and it can make it difficult to lose weight." [Citation needed] In addition to this, it may decrease your desire to exercise, which is not healthy for your cardiovascular system.

According to Dr. Kini, sleep is a great time for your heart to renew its batteries. Dr. Kini continued, "When you sleep, your heart rate goes down, your hormones settle down, and you are not under as much stress." It's not only healthy for your heart, but for your general health as well.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What Does "Pre-Workout" Mean?

Image
Pre-workouts are dietary supplements that might help you do better during your workout and recover faster afterward. Even though pre-workouts are generally safe, they do come with some risks, such as interactions with medications, and the research on how well they work is mixed. If you're thinking about using these products, it's best to talk to a doctor or nurse first. You may have heard of taking a pre-workout supplement, whether you've been working out for a while or are just starting out. You can take nutritional supplements called "pre-workouts" before you work out. It has been suggested that taking these supplements will help you do better during your workouts.  If you've never used a pre-workout supplement before, you may be interested in how they work and what they contain. Here are the important facts about pre-workout. What is the point of pre-workout? These kinds of supplements claim to do a few things, including: Improving your energy levels Improv...
Read more

Common Signs and Symptoms of Kidney Stones

Image
Stones in the kidneys are solid masses that can form in the organs themselves. Crystallization in urine can occur due to the presence of calcium and other minerals, and the resulting stones can range in size from sand-like grains to small pebbles to even gravel-like chunks.  Kidney stones can be caused by a number of different things. For example, several studies have found a correlation between men using high-dose vitamin C supplements and an increased risk of developing kidney stones.  Antibiotic treatment may also be a contributing factor.  The most important contributing component is dehydration.  Maybe you're wondering: What does a kidney stone feel like? Even though stones are normally rather little, passing them can cause a great deal of discomfort. Yet, this is not the only sign of the condition. Take a look at some of the more obvious warning signs that you might have a kidney stone. A man of middle age is seen hunched over a desk, holding the side of his ba...
Read more

Is popcorn good for your health?

Image
  Popcorn, which is typically thought of as a staple snack for consumption while watching a movie, is also considered to be a snack option that is beneficial to one's health. There is some evidence that eating popcorn can be beneficial to your health, such as the fact that it contains several vitamins and minerals. There are also other elements, such as the oil that was used to pop the meal or any other seasonings that were applied, that may add other nutrients to the food. Continue reading to find out more. The Nutrients of Popcorn In general, a cup of air-popped popcorn that is unsalted comprises the following components:1 Calories: 30 calories Fat: < 1 gramme Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: < 1 milligramme Carbohydrates: 6.23 grammes Fibre: 1.21 grammes Protein: < 1 gramme Benefits of popcorn Even in its popped form, corn still qualifies as a complete grain. Whole grains are an essential source of a variety of essential nutrients, including fibre, vitamins, and minerals. A nu...
Read more