How to Prevent Heart Attacks and Strokes
World Health Organization (WHO) estimates about 17.1 million who die of cardiovascular diseases every year. People who have high blood pressure, high levels of cholesterol and glucose, overweight and obese, as well as those who smoke, eat less fruits and vegetables, and rarely engage in physical activities are at high risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart diseases and stroke. How about you? Are you also at high risk?
You may never know until you check your blood pressure, blood sugar levels and cholesterol levels. If upon checkup, any of these three conditions surface, you must take care of your heart more heartily in order to prevent heart attacks and strokes.
People who are serious about reducing risk of heart attacks and strokes need to live a healthy lifestyle, eating healthy diet, getting rid of tobacco, and engaging in proper physical activities. Quit smoking and avoid inhaling smoke from other people’s cigarettes. Set aside 30 minutes a day being physically active. Eat more fruits and vegetables, but less salt, fat and sugar. And of course, visit your doctor regularly for a check-up. The effort may be a struggle to many, but will do great difference by lowering blood pressure, blood sugar as well as cholesterol levels.
- Why quit smoking? Tobacco smoke is full of substances that damages lungs, blood vessels and heart, thus increasing heart attack and stroke risks greatly.
- Why improve healthy diet? Eating too much food leads to gaining more and more weight, or even resulting to obesity, which in turn increases risks of diabetes, high blood pressure, and high blood fat levels. By improving diet, unnecessary amount of fat, salt and sugar will be avoided.
- Why exercise? Physical activity can be tiring at first, but thinking of the positive outcomes of doing proper exercise should motivate you to keep going. It helps burn sugars and fats, gradually lowering both blood sugar and cholesterol levels. And since the heart is also kept active during physical activities, its performance remains healthy. Exercise also increases oxygen levels in the body, strengthen heart muscles as well as improve blood circulation.
- Why get check-ups? A physician should know what to do when any of the risk factors increase threat. The man in lab coats would also be able to prescribe medications if necessary, and suggest the kind of exercise and food that suits your heart condition.
