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Heart disease kills roughly 610,000 people in the United States annually, which amount to 1 in every 4 deaths, based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) statistics.
Risk factors including high blood cholesterol, obesity, and hypertension are major risks that can lead to the development of heart disease down the line. It is important for patients to understand that decisions including lifestyle choices, diet, exercise, and limited drug use can help reduce heart disease risks. Don’t become a statistic, and check out these heart disease.
Slowly build heart-healthy habits over time
Heart disease can be easily prevented, and risk factors are manageable, if patients begin to change their lifestyle.
Some of the most significant ways that patients can change their lifesytle factors to promote heart health include:
- Building a healthier diet: A heart-healthy diet includes,fruit, veggies, and lean meats. Also limit alcohol, processed foods, and foods containing bad cholesterol, simple sugars, and sodium. A healthy diet helps to prevent high cholesterol, lowers blood pressure, and blood sugar levels that affect heart disease prevalence.
- Healthy Weight and Physical Activity: The risk of heart disease increases when an individual is overweight or obese. It is helpful to know your body mass index (BMI) and waist measurements. At least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous-intensity exercise, like brisk walking, swimming or bicycling, 3 days a week is good for the heart in terms of physical activity.
- Avoid Smoking: Cigarette smoking is a significant risk factor for heart disease. Smokers should try and gradually quit tobacco use in order to improve heart disease risk factors.
Keep Risk Factors in Check With Management and Medication
In the event that you have risk factors for heart disease like, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or diabetes, it’s important to take all medications as they are prescribed by your physician.
- Manger your cholesterol level based on your current risk prevalence, or at least once every 5 years. If you struggle with high cholesterol or have a hereditary predisposition to the condition, check your cholesterol more frequently.
- Be sure to control your blood pressure/hypertension, measuring it on a regular basis and taking your prescription medication when necessary.
- If you are diabetic, cautiously monitor your blood sugar levels and make lifestyle changes to keep your blood sugar at ideal levels.
Managing heart-health risks factors is incredibly important to limit the development of chronic diseases including coronary heart disease. Gradual lifestyle and wellness changes are the most effective way to live a low-stress and heart-healthy lifestyle!
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