Your heart is a special organ that tirelessly pumps blood throughout your body, ensuring oxygen and nutrients reach every cell. To keep your heart healthy, it is essential to adopt a healthy lifestyle. In this blog of Cardiology Bangladesh, we’ll explore various tips and habits that can help you maintain optimal heart health.
”Lifestyle is key to heart health,” Holly S. Andersen, MD, a cardiologist and associate professor of clinical medicine at New York-Presbyterian Hospital of Weill Cornell Medical Center, tells Health. “It’s more important than genetics”. signs: The AHA estimates that 80% of cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke, is preventable.
Jennifer Haythe, MD, associate professor of medicine in cardiovascular medicine at the Center for Advanced Cardiovascular Care, associate director of the adult pulmonary hypertension program, and director of the cardiology-obstetrics program at the Center for Medicine Irving, of Columbia University, agrees. “A lot of heart disease is preventable,” Dr. Haythe told Health. “If people took care of their hearts in their 20s, 30s, and 40s, they wouldn’t need to see a cardiologist for most of their lives.”
The Path to Better Heart Health in Bangladesh
You have direct control over many things that can affect your heart health. It’s up to you how seriously you take this responsibility. Some people find it easy to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Others will only do so after being diagnosed with symptoms of heart disease, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
Make healthy food choices
Balance is the key to a long-term healthy diet. Your diet should consist mainly of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and lean proteins. If you regularly eat like this, you will be able to treat yourself from time to time.
It’s important to allow yourself to eat something you want from time to time. So don’t feel guilty about treating yourself as a reward for eating healthy. Just make sure you don’t indulge too often. When choosing vegetables, think about colour. A colourful plate filled with red, orange, yellow, and dark green vegetables will provide essential vitamins and minerals.
Reduce or even eliminate heavily processed foods. Heavily processed foods are canned and packaged foods, especially ready-to-eat foods (like crackers, chips, macaroni and cheese, and even drive-thru foods). Also, look for foods that are low in sodium (salt). Remember that canned foods contain a lot of sodium.
Drink water instead of soda and energy drinks. There is a surprising amount of sugar in soda and energy drinks. Instead, drinking water can have a significant positive impact on your health. Try to drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day.
Watch your weight
It’s not healthy to be overweight or obese. Your body mass index (BMI) increases as you gain more weight. Based on your height and weight, your BMI calculates your body fat percentage. Your risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar levels increases with your BMI. You run the danger of developing respiratory issues, liver, gallbladder, and even cancer if you are obese.
The best strategy to lose weight is to combine a balanced eating plan with regular exercise. A little weight loss can have a significant impact on your health. The American Heart Association (AHA) claims that decreasing merely 5% to 10% of your body weight can lower your chance of developing a heart condition.
Be active to Keep your Heart Healthy
To exercise, you don’t need to purchase expensive equipment or join a gym. It’s important to simply get up and move. Take a walk. at work, use the stairs. Try some sit-ups or push-ups. Dance. Adults should engage in at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week, in addition to two days of strength training. Every day, kids should engage in at least an hour of physical activity. Additionally, they need to engage in more strenuous exercise that raises their heart rate at least three days a week.
Your heart is directly affected by aerobic activity. Exercise makes your heart stronger because it is a muscle. A healthy heart can work more effectively.
Know your numbers
Every adult should be aware of their cholesterol and blood pressure readings. You should start getting your blood pressure monitored at age 18 and do so at least every three to five years. High blood pressure frequently has no symptoms at all. Checking is the only sure-fire way to know.
Ages 20 and older young adults who smoke or have a family history of heart disease ought to get routine cholesterol testing. If not, women should start having routine cholesterol testing at age 45. Men should start them when they are 35. You should get tested for diabetes if you’ve been told that you have high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
Stop smoking to Keep your Heart Healthy
There is nothing new to report. Smoking is harmful to your health. Cancer is brought on by it. Your lungs suffer harm as a result. Additionally, it’s detrimental to your heart. Your risk of heart disease rises if you smoke. Your arteries’ lining is harmed. Numerous studies show that smoking is a key contributor to coronary heart disease, which causes heart attacks.
If you currently smoke, this is an excellent time to quit. In addition to traditional “quit smoking” aids like nicotine gum and patches, there are medications that can be helpful. Don’t go from smoking to vaping because it won’t help you stop. Request a resource recommendation from your doctor. Additionally, make an effort to avoid second-hand smoke.
Take your gums seriously to Keep your Heart Healthy
Many people are unaware of the connection between heart disease and oral health. In actuality, there is a link between periodontal disease (also known as gum disease) and conditions like diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and premature birth.
It is unclear whether gum disease leads to heart disease or the opposite. Some medical experts think that gum disease is caused by bacteria that enters the body through the mouth. They worsen inflammation as they spread. This elevated inflammation has the potential to initiate or exacerbate inflammatory diseases like heart disease. Gum disease can be avoided to benefit your general health. The greatest approach to maintain good oral health is through regular brushing, flossing, and dental visits.If you already have gum disease, a periodontist (a dentist who specializes in periodontics) should do routine cleanings.
Stop stressing to Keep your Heart Healthy
Your risk of heart attack and stroke can be decreased by controlling your stress. High blood pressure is frequently linked to stress. Chronic stress causes your body to produce more stress hormones than is healthy, so avoid it.
Everyone manages stress in their own unique way. Your health may be directly impacted by how you respond to it. You can reduce tension by doing breathing exercises. Additionally, useful at reducing stress is meditation. The best approach to handle it is to exercise. Smoking, drinking alcohol, or allowing stress to interfere with sleep are poor methods to cope with stress.