Tips to Prevent Heart Diseases
Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in today’s world. In addition, it is also one of the major causes of disability. However, it is not inevitable. Though there are some risk factors that a person cannot change such as family history, age or sex, there are plenty of other ways that can help in preventing or reducing your chances of heart disease.
What are the risk factors that cannot be changed?
There are certain nonmodifiable risk factors mentioned by the best cardiologist in Faridabad. These include:
- Age: People aged 65 or more are more at risk than younger ones.
- Family history: If any person in your immediate family suffers from heart disease, your risk of developing the same increases too.
- Menopause: Women after menopause are at a greater risk of developing heart disease than others.
- Ethnicity and race: Certain races and ethnicities face a higher risk of developing heart diseases
According to the best heart doctor in Faridabad, though these factors cannot be changed, it is always helpful to know about them. This is because if you have any of these, it becomes even more important to follow a healthy lifestyle so as to reduce the risk.
How can heart disease be prevented by lifestyle changes?
In addition to above-given factors, there are many other lifestyle factors that contribute in heart diseases. However, these are termed as modifiable risk factors by the best heart doctor in Faridabad. Following are some tips on how to reduce your risk of developing cardiovascular disease with changes in lifestyle:
- Control Blood pressure: High BP is one of the major contributors of heart disease. Get your blood pressure screened regularly and take appropriate steps to control and regulate it.
- Keep Triglyceride and cholesterol levels in control: High levels of triglyceride fats and cholesterol can cause clogging in the arteries, thus raising the risk of coronary artery diseases.
- Maintain a healthy weight: Obesity and overweight are often linked to several heart disease risk factors such as high BP, high cholesterol and diabetes. Control your body weight to lower this risk.
- Maintain a healthy diet: You should try and limit your intake of high sodium foods, saturated foods, and added sugars. Instead, you should try and focus on vegetables, whole grains and fresh fruit.
- Exercise regularly: Exercise helps in strengthening the heart and improving blood circulation which helps in lowering cholesterol and blood pressure too. All these combine to lower any coronary heart disease risk.
- Limit alcohol intake: Too much alcohol intake can cause increase in blood pressure and weight gain, thus increasing risk for heart diseases.
- Quit smoking: Smoking puts a person at a higher risk of strokes and heart attack.
- Manage stress levels: Do ensure that your stress levels are in control. This can be done by methods like listening to music, exercising, meditating or focusing on a calm and peaceful state of mind.
- Ensure optimum sugar levels: Diabetes increases the chances of diabetic heart disease. It is important to be tested for the same at your best heart hospital in Faridabad and make sure that your blood sugar level is under control.
- Get enough sleep: Adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep. Not getting enough sleep can also raise the risk of heart disease.
In addition to these, if you already suffer from diabetes or high BP, do ensure that you regularly take your medicines and keep with any follow-up appointments with your best heart doctor in Faridabad.