Preventing Heart Disease

An average of 700,000 people in the United States are killed by heart disease every year. That means 29% of all fatalities are due to heart disease of some form, making it the number one killer among both men and women in the U.S. The term heart disease includes several different types of heart conditions, the most common among these being coronary heart disease, which could ultimately lead to a heart attack. Coronary heart disease is the cause of 7 million deaths each year worldwide.

So, what can you do in order to prevent falling victim to this silent killer? The most crucial thing is maintaining a healthy a cholesterol level. To do this, you must eat foods that are low in saturated fat and cholesterol, but high in fiber. Every adult should have their cholesterol levels checked by their doctor at least every five years. If it’s high, your doctor may decide to prescribe medications to help lower your cholesterol.

Furthermore, you should eat a diet that is low in salt or sodium. This could lead to lower blood pressure, therefore decreasing your risk of a heart attack, heart disease, diabetes or stroke. You will also want to consume healthy amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables, which could help to lower the sodium that has entered your body.

Another way to keep your heart healthy is by exercising regularly. A great way to get the blood flowing is by running or jogging. If that proves to be too strenuous, walking would also work. Whatever exercise you choose, challenge yourself to workout for an average of 30 minutes each day. The key to getting your heart in shape is consistency. It’s best to create a workout schedule that is right for your lifestyle, to help you stick to it.

Diet and exercise, when combined, will help you maintain a healthy weight, which is crucial when it comes to preventing heart disease. Using a person’s height and weight to compute a BMI summary usually assesses an ideal weight. BMI is an abbreviation for Body Mass Index, which is used to measure an individual’s body fat. A BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese, while a BMI of 25 through 29.9 is considered overweight. Ideally, you want your BMI to be between 18 and 24.9, which is considered a healthy weight.

It is also important that you do not smoke. Smoking will raise your blood pressure, which in turn could cause a heart attack. Never smoking is one of the best things possible when it comes to heart disease prevention. Even people who have smoked lower their risk dramatically upon quitting. Using alcohol excessively can also cause a rise in your blood pressure, resulting in a heart attack.

The most pertinent things to remember are to eat healthy, exercise regularly and avoid smoking or consuming alcohol. If you follow these tips, your risk of heart disease will be decreased dramatically.