How to Prevent Heart Disease and Take Care of Your Heart

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When it comes to health, there are some risk factors we can’t control. Your genetic makeup and family history may predispose you to certain conditions. Other risk factors, such as smoking, unhealthy eating habits and lack of exercise, are choices you make every day. But what you don’t know about your personal risk for heart disease could put you at risk. Fortunately, there are ways to prevent it — and steps you can take to protect your ticker even if you have a family history of heart problems. Fortunately, there are steps you can take today to protect your ticker for tomorrow. A healthy diet and moderate exercise routine will go a long way toward preventing heart disease in the future. Read on for more information on how to prevent heart disease and take care of your ticker.
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Create Good Habits Early On

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You might not be able to control your genetics, but you can control the way you live your life. If you don’t have a family history of heart disease, you’re lucky — but you’re also responsible for your own health. Start making good habits early on, and you’ll be able to avoid many of the risk factors that lead to heart disease as you get older — even if you have a family history of the condition. A heart-healthy lifestyle can help you reduce your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, among other conditions. Once you’ve developed these healthy habits, they’ll be easier to maintain as you get older. Eating the right foods, getting plenty of exercise, limiting stress and getting enough sleep are habits that can make a huge difference in your long-term health.
Go For Healthy Eating

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A healthy diet is the basis of a heart-healthy lifestyle. Focus on eating plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and choose low-fat or fat-free dairy products. There are lots of healthy diet options, from vegetarian to vegan, Paleo, Mediterranean and more. Eating a healthy diet can help reduce blood pressure and triglyceride levels in people predisposed to heart disease, and it may even prevent heart attacks. A healthy diet alone, however, is not enough to prevent heart disease. You also need to engage in other healthy habits, such as exercising regularly and avoiding smoking.

Be Active Every Day

Exercise is crucial for heart health. Luckily, the many benefits of exercise extend beyond heart health. Regular exercise can help reduce blood pressure, prevent diabetes and improve cholesterol levels. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends getting at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity, like jogging or swimming, every week. If you want to reduce your risk of heart disease even more, aim for more than that. What counts as moderate exercise? Anything that raises your heart rate but leaves you able to carry on a conversation. That includes things like jogging, swimming, riding a bike, playing tennis, walking and more.

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Monitor Your Weight
Excessive weight, or obesity, is a risk factor for heart disease. If you’re overweight, lose the extra pounds. You’ll be reducing your risk of heart disease and a host of other diseases and conditions, too. If you’re prediabetic, losing weight can also help you avoid diabetes. If you already have type 2 diabetes, weight loss can help reduce your need for medication. Your doctor can help you create a weight loss plan that will work for you.

Don’t Smoke — Ever

Smoking damages almost every part of the human body, including the heart. If you smoke, quitting will help you reduce your risk of heart disease. In fact, studies show that people who quit smoking reduce their risk of death from heart disease by 50 percent. Quitting is hard — but it’s worth it. If you need help quitting, talk to your doctor. He or she can help you find the best tools for success.

A Final word: Stay tuned

Be realistic about how long it takes to make these changes. If you are overweight, quitting smoking and making other lifestyle changes will take time. While these changes will lower your risk of heart disease, it may take years before you see any benefits. Stay on track and don’t get discouraged if you don’t see changes right away. If you stay committed, you can reduce your risk of heart disease and live a longer, healthier life. In the meantime, you can help protect your heart by keeping an eye on your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Blood pressure and cholesterol levels are intermediate steps between lifestyle changes and actual diagnosis of heart disease. You ca n take proactive steps to keep these numbers healthy.

Reference:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20353118
https://www.scripps.org/news_items/5146-5-heart-healthy-habits#:~:text=%E2%80%9CHeart%20disease%20risk%20falls%20significantly,%2C%E2%80%9D%20Dr.%20Lee%20says.
https://www.healthline.com/health-news/being-active-for-20-minutes-a-day-can-help-you-stay-heart-healthy#Exercise-and-heart-health
https://medlineplus.gov/heartdiseases.html
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/smoking-and-cardiovascular-disease#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20AHA%2C%20stopping,many%20contributors%20to%20heart%20attack.

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