5 Ways to Prevent Heart Diseases

Ischaemic heart disease resulted in 7.25 million deaths the world over in 2008 (that’s roughly 12.8% of the total deaths in that year!). Startling figures released by the World Health Organization, right? There’s more –

According to Heart Disease Facts released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly one in four Americans died of a heart disease in 2008. And as per an American Heart Association policy statement formulated by PA Heidenreich, JG Trogdon, et al, with nearly 41 percent of the US population likely to fall prey to some form of cardiovascular disease by 2030, the real indirect costs of heart diseases (because of loss of production efficiency) would come out to be a whopping $276 billion in that year (that’s a couple of billions more than Egypt’s estimated GDP in 2013)!

To put things in a simpler way – the threat of heart disease lurks around everywhere, thanks to our gluttoning on fast food, taking the elevator rather than walking up the stairs and sitting glued in front of the television and PC munching on  potato chips.

Yes, technology has made huge inroads into alleviating the level of care in cardiac patients. Now is the age of minimally invasive procedures which result in quicker healing and less scarring. One can even undergo affordable procedures such as coronary angioplasty in India, Mexico and Thailand, if the cost of the procedure back home is too high for you. 

However, why not make some changes in our lifestyle to prevent a heart disease rather than bank on technology to help us manage our lives better with the disease?

Here are some easy-to-follow tips that help minimize the risks of heart diseases:

Tip 1 - Sweat It Out

I “heart” working out – make this your maxim! That doesn’t mean you have to go to the gym and pump iron. Moderate exercising for about half an hour a day suffices. Put on your walking shoes, go to the nearest park, and do some brisk walking. If you think walking is too passive a workout, go for a jog or skip a rope. Want to make exercising more fun? How about skating?

Exercise, especially aerobic exercise, helps reduce the risk of heart diseases by:

·         Bolstering your cardiovascular system

·         Improving the circulation of oxygen in your body

·         Helping reduce excessive fat and maintain your ideal weight

·         Busting all that stress

·         Making you more energetic – so you are able to carry out activities with a renewed vigor and without being breathless.

Tip 2 – Eat Healthy

If you eat healthy not only are you able to keep a check on heart diseases but also reduce the risk of conditions that can cause cardiovascular diseases such as high cholesterol, hypertension, and of course, obesity.

Add on the following to your diet –

·         More fruits and veggies – US National Library of Medicine’s MedlinePlus suggests at least five helpings of fruits and vegetables a day. They are full of vitamins, minerals, and fiber and also low in calories, cholesterol and sodium. A study by Sonia S. Anand, Ron Do, Changchun Xie, Kennet Harald, et al published in the October 2011 edition of PLoS Medicine suggests that consuming a diet rich in raw fruits and vegetables helps cut down the risk of myocardial infarction and cardiovascular diseases by modifying chromosome 9p21 variants, which are one of the strongest prognosticators of heart diseases.

·         Eat whole grains and starchy vegetables – Low –fat breads and starchy vegetables such as corn, peas and potatoes are rich in Vitamin B, fiber and iron. Whole grain products such as rice, pasta, cereals and breads are packed with vitamins, minerals and provide fiber.

·         Drink green tea – Drinking green tea will not only give your body lots of antioxidants but also help prevent the blood vessels from getting constricted after eating a high-fat meal. What an ingenious way to prevent heart diseases rather than scout for low cost treatments such as mitral valve repair in New Delhi, and other distant places!                

Avoid the following  -

·         Baked foods and cream soups

·         Organ meat such as kidney and liver

·         Processed meats such as sausages, salami, ham, and pepperoni

·         Having more than four egg yolks in a week

·         Deep frying food

·         Foods high in saturated fats such as butter, ice cream, and cheese

·         Not removing visible fat on meat

·         Having more than 2400 mg of salt in a day

Tip 3 – Quit Smoking

Better Health Channel, a renowned health information website established by the Victorian (Australia) State Government states that cigarette smoking can increase the likelihood of a heart attack by two to six times! Nicotine, one of the numerous harmful constituents of cig smoke, is known to increase blood pressure. Carbon monoxide is known to debilitate the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood, which raises the risk of heart attack. Passive smoking and smoking low nicotine cigarettes are also deleterious for your heart. However, within a couple of years after you quit smoking, your propensity to contract a heart disease would return to similar levels as those of non-smokers.

Tip 4 - Make Laughter Your Stress Buster

Did you know that stress can trigger a chain of events in your body which creates the ripe conditions for a heart disease?

Here’s what happens when you fret over meeting deadlines at work or get vexed after a heated argument with your spouse –

·                  When you are stressed out, certain chemicals get released in your blood stream which causes the heart rate and blood pressure to shoot up.

·                  Your platelets clump together.

·                  All these conditions could pace up the process of plaque formation which in turn leads to blockage of coronary arteries. The result – spiked chances of a heart attack.

Stress is also known to stoke the factors that can contribute to increased chances of heart diseases. Haven’t you heard someone say figuratively that his/her blood pressure shot up at the sight of his/her inflated telephone bill? Blood pressure LITERALLY shoots up when you are tensed. Also, some seek solace in emotional eating; others like to smoke their worries away.

Want to say goodbye to stress? Laugh your heart out! Grab that favorite DVD of Tom and Jerry of yours. Join a laughter club and chuckle your blues away. Laughing helps reduce the lining of your blood vessels and lowers down your blood pressure and your heart rate.

Tip 5 - Get Yourself Screened Regularly

It’s imperative to get your health screenings regularly. It is recommended that adults get their blood pressure checked at least twice a year. Of course, if you’re blood pressure isn’t ideal you’ll have to get your screening more often.

Mayo Clinic suggests adults to have their cholesterol levels checked once every five years. Diabetes is a big risk factor of heart diseases. If you have a family history of diabetes or are overweight, your physician would recommend getting tested for diabetes when you attain the age of 30.