Lifestyle Tips to Reduce your Heart Disease Risk

Your heart’s main function is to circulate blood, that’s full of oxygen, all around your body. It’s important to take good care of this precious organ, and make sure you keep your risk of heart disease as low as possible. Follow a healthy lifestyle, avoid doing things that can damage the condition of your heart, and make smart choices that will keep it in good shape.

Fast Facts about Your Heart

Here are some interesting facts about your heart you might not know:

  • Your heart beats around 115,000 times every day.
  • Your heart pumps approximately 2,000 gallons of blood every day.
  • If your blood vessel system was stretched out end to end, it would extend over 96,500 kilometre!
  • The beating sound of your heart is caused by the heart valves opening and closing as it pumps blood.
  • The human heart weighs less than 1 pound.
  • The average man’s heart weighs about 2 ounces more than a woman’s heart.
  • A woman’s heartbeat is slightly faster than a man’s.

These facts show us a glimpse into just how hard the heart works and how important it is. The health of your heart affects the wellbeing of your whole body.

Here are some important facts you should know about possible threats to your heart’s health, like the risk of heart disease and heart attack.

Important Facts about Heart Disease

  • Heart disease is responsible for the most deaths worldwide for both men and women of all races and backgrounds.
  • Within 5 years of having a heart attack, almost 50% of women die, develop heart failure, or have a stroke, compared to 36% of men.
  • Heart disease doesn’t only occur in old age; it can affect people of all ages.
  • Around 47% of sudden cardiac deaths occur outside a hospital, which suggests that many people don’t recognise or act on the early warning signs of heart disease.

What factors increase your risk of heart disease and heart attack, and what can you do to manage these risks?

Risk Factors for Heart Disease

Heart disease is caused mainly by these factors:

  • High cholesterol
  • High blood pressure
  • Obesity and excess weight
  • Smoking
  • Stress

Preventing Heart Disease

Effective prevention starts with a healthy lifestyle. Here are some tips to take better care of your heart’s health and manage the major risk factors.

Lowering high cholesterol: There are two types of cholesterol, namely “bad” low-density cholesterol (LDL) and “good” high-density cholesterol (HDL). To increase LDL cholesterol levels, you can do the following:

  • Maintain a healthy weight.
  • Eat foods that are high in fibre and low in saturated fat.
  • Do regular aerobic exercise like cycling, jogging or swimming.
  • Quit smoking if you are a smoker.

Lowering high blood pressure: High blood pressure, also called hypertension, increases the risk for heart disease and stroke. You can keep your blood pressure in check with these healthy habits:

  • Reduce the amount of sodium (salt) in your diet – consume no more than 1 teaspoon a day.
  • Maintain a healthy weight.
  • Get regular exercise, for at least 30 minutes a day most days of the week.
  • Eat foods that are rich in potassium, magnesium and calcium.
  • Limit the amount of alcohol you drink.

Managing your weight: Excess weight and obesity are typically caused by consuming more kilojoules than the body needs, and not burning the extra kilojoules through exercise. You can prevent excess weight gain by:

  • Doing at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity, most days of the week.
  • Following a healthy balanced diet that is high in fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

Quitting smoking: Smokers are at higher risk of heart disease. It’s never too late to quit, or even cut down, to protect the health of your heart.

Managing stress: Chronic stress is another factor that increases your risk of heart disease. Regular exercise, meditation, breathing exercises and relaxation techniques can all help you to reduce stress levels.

 

Sources:

Fun Facts about the Heart You Didn’t Know. Retrieved from: https://www.healthline.com/health/fun-facts-about-the-heart

Heart Disease: Facts, Statistics and You. Retrieved from: https://www.healthline.com/health/heart-disease/statistics

Five Surprising Heart Disease Facts. Retrieved from: https://thefhfoundation.org/five-heart-disease-facts