You can prevent heart disease by following a heart-healthy lifestyle. Here are five strategies to help you protect your heart.
Heart disease may be a leading cause of death, but that doesn't mean you
have to accept it as your fate. Although you lack the power to change
some risk factors — such as family history, sex or age — there are some
key heart disease prevention steps you can take.
You can avoid heart problems in the future by adopting a healthy
lifestyle today. Here are five heart disease prevention tips to get you
started.
1. Don't smoke or use tobacco
Smoking or using tobacco is one of the most significant risk factors for
developing heart disease. Chemicals in tobacco can damage your heart
and blood vessels, leading to narrowing of the arteries
(atherosclerosis). Atherosclerosis can ultimately lead to a heart
attack. When it comes to heart disease prevention, no amount of smoking
is safe. Smokeless tobacco and low-tar and low-nicotine cigarettes also
are risky, as is exposure to secondhand smoke.
In addition, the nicotine in cigarette smoke makes your heart work
harder by narrowing your blood vessels and increasing your heart rate
and blood pressure. Carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke replaces some of
the oxygen in your blood. This increases your blood pressure by forcing
your heart to work harder to supply enough oxygen. Even so-called
"social smoking" — smoking only while at a bar or restaurant with
friends — is dangerous and increases the risk of heart disease.
Women who smoke and take birth control pills are at greater risk of
having a heart attack or stroke than are those who don't do either. This
risk increases with age, especially in women older than 35.
The good news, though, is that when you quit smoking, your risk of heart
disease drops dramatically within just one year. And no matter how long
or how much you smoked, you'll start reaping rewards as soon as you
quit.
2. Exercise for 30 minutes on most days of the week
Getting some regular, daily exercise can reduce your risk of fatal heart
disease. And when you combine physical activity with other lifestyle
measures, such as maintaining a healthy weight, the payoff is even
greater.
Physical activity helps you control your weight and can reduce your
chances of developing other conditions that may put a strain on your
heart, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. It
also reduces stress, which may be a factor in heart disease.
Try getting at least 30 to 60 minutes of moderately intense physical
activity most days of the week. However, even shorter amounts of
exercise offer heart benefits, so if you can't meet those guidelines,
don't give up. You can even break up your workout time into 10-minute
sessions.
And remember that activities such as gardening, housekeeping, taking the
stairs and walking the dog all count toward your total. You don't have
to exercise strenuously to achieve benefits, but you can see bigger
benefits by increasing the intensity, duration and frequency of your
workouts.
3. Eat a heart-healthy diet
Eating a special diet called the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension
(DASH) eating plan can help protect your heart. Following the DASH diet
means eating foods that are low in fat, cholesterol and salt. The diet
is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products,
which can help protect your heart. Beans, other low-fat sources of
protein and certain types of fish also can reduce your risk of heart
disease.
Limiting certain fats you eat also is important. Of the types of fat —
saturated, polyunsaturated, monounsaturated and trans fat — saturated
fat and trans fat increase the risk of coronary artery disease by
raising blood cholesterol levels.
Major sources of saturated fat include:
- Red meat
- Dairy products
- Coconut and palm oils
Sources of trans fat include:
- Deep-fried fast foods
- Bakery products
- Packaged snack foods
- Margarines
- Crackers
Look at the label for the term "partially hydrogenated" to avoid trans fat.
Heart-healthy eating isn't all about cutting back, though. Most people
need to add more fruits and vegetables to their diet — with a goal of
five to 10 servings a day. Eating that many fruits and vegetables can
not only help prevent heart disease, but also may help prevent cancer.
Omega-3 fatty acids, a type of polyunsaturated fat, may decrease your
risk of heart attack, protect against irregular heartbeats and lower
blood pressure. Some fish, such as salmon and mackerel, are a good
natural source of omega-3s. Omega-3s are present in smaller amounts in
flaxseed oil, walnut oil, soybean oil and canola oil, and they can also
be found in supplements.
Following a heart-healthy diet also means drinking alcohol only in
moderation — no more than two drinks a day for men, and one a day for
women. At that moderate level, alcohol can have a protective effect on
your heart. More than that becomes a health hazard.
4. Maintain a healthy weight
As you put on weight in adulthood, your weight gain is mostly fat rather
than muscle. This excess weight can lead to conditions that increase
your chances of heart disease — high blood pressure, high cholesterol
and diabetes.
One way to see if your weight is healthy is to calculate your body mass
index (BMI), which considers your height and weight in determining
whether you have a healthy or unhealthy percentage of body fat. BMI
numbers 25 and higher are associated with higher blood fats, higher
blood pressure, and an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.
The BMI is a good, but imperfect guide. Muscle weighs more than fat, for
instance, and women and men who are very muscular and physically fit
can have high BMIs without added health risks. Because of that, waist
circumference also is a useful tool to measure how much abdominal fat
you have:
- Men are considered overweight if their waist measurement is greater than 40 inches (101.6 centimeters, or cm)
- Women are overweight if their waist measurement is greater than 35 inches (88.9 cm)
Even a small weight loss can be beneficial. Reducing your weight by just
10 percent can decrease your blood pressure, lower your blood
cholesterol level and reduce your risk of diabetes.
5. Get regular health screenings
High blood pressure and high cholesterol can damage your heart and blood
vessels. But without testing for them, you probably won't know whether
you have these conditions. Regular screening can tell you what your
numbers are and whether you need to take action.
- Blood pressure. Regular blood pressure screenings
start in childhood. Adults should have their blood pressure checked at
least every two years. You may need more-frequent checks if your numbers
aren't ideal or if you have other risk factors for heart disease.
Optimal blood pressure is less than 120/80 millimeters of mercury.
- Cholesterol levels. Adults should have their
cholesterol measured at least once every five years starting at age 20.
You may need more frequent testing if your numbers aren't optimal or if
you have other risk factors for heart disease. Some children may need
their blood cholesterol tested if they have a strong family history of
heart disease.
- Diabetes screening. Since diabetes is a risk factor
for developing heart disease, you may want to consider being screened
for diabetes. Talk to your doctor about when you should have a fasting
blood sugar test to check for diabetes. Depending on your risk factors,
such as being overweight or a family history of diabetes, your doctor
may recommend first testing you for diabetes sometime between ages 30
and 45, and then retesting every three to five years.
