How can you live a better and longer life? If you've never experienced a heart attack or stroke, these eight crucial characteristics can help you reduce your risk. They're part of an adult's overall healthy lifestyle. They can also assist you in developing a solid preventative strategy with your medical team (doctors, nurses, pharmacists, registered dietitians, and other professionals).
1.
Be aware of your danger.
Use our Check. Change. Control.
Calculator to predict your risk of having a cardiovascular event in the next 10
years if you're between 40 and 75 years old and have never had a heart attack
or stroke. Certain factors, such as smoking, renal disease, or a family history
of early heart disease, can raise your risk.
Knowing your risk factors can
assist you and your medical team determine the best treatment option for you.
Many risk factors can be reduced by altering one's lifestyle.
2.
Eat a balanced diet.
Vegetables, fruits, whole grains,
legumes, nuts, plant-based proteins, lean animal proteins, and fish should all
be part of your diet. Limit your intake of refined carbs, processed meats, and
sugary beverages. Reduce sodium, added sugars, and saturated fats while
avoiding trans fats by reading the nutrition facts label on packaged items.
3.
Engage in physical activity.
Moving more is one of the most
effective methods to keep healthy, avoid sickness, and age gracefully. Adults
should engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or
75 minutes of strenuous activity every week. You can up the ante if you're
already active to reap even more rewards. If you're not already active, begin
by sitting less and moving more.
4.
Maintain a healthy weight.
Maintain a healthy weight for
yourself. If you're overweight or obese, you should lose weight. Begin by
consuming fewer calories and increasing your physical activity. You may find
your BMI by using the calculator below (BMI). If you need assistance, talk to
your doctor about a weight-loss strategy.
5.
Adopt a tobacco-free lifestyle.
Don't start smoking, vaping, or
using tobacco products if you don't already. There is no such thing as a
cigarette product that is safe. If quitting smoking or tobacco is a struggle
for you, enlist the support of your co-workers to help you stop using
tried-and-true ways. Don't simply switch from one tobacco supplier to another.
Also, try to stay away from second-hand smoke!
6.
Take control of the situation.
It's critical to engage with your
health care team and make lifestyle changes if you have high blood pressure
(hypertension), high cholesterol, high blood sugar, diabetes, or other diseases
that put you at risk. Many conditions can be avoided or treated by improving
one's diet, getting more active, lowering weight, and stopping smoking.
7.
Take your medication as prescribed.
Your doctor may give statins or
other medications to help regulate cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure
if you have a medical problem. Take all drugs exactly as prescribed. However,
only use aspirin as a preventive strategy if your doctor recommends it. Daily
aspirin may not assist you if you've never had a heart attack or stroke, and it
may even create complications, such as bleeding. If you've had a heart attack
or stroke, your doctor may recommend taking aspirin at a low dose to lower your
chances of having another.
8.
Work well with others.
Your healthcare team can help you
live a longer, healthier life by lowering your heart disease or stroke risk.
Work on your preventative strategy as a team. Ask inquiries and be honest about
any difficulties you're having making healthy changes. Stress, sleep, mental
health, familial conditions, cigarette usage, food access, social support, and
other factors can all impact your health and well-being.
0 Comments