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Healthy Heart
Guide
The human heart can be compared to the
engine of a car—both are power units that keep bodies
moving. Your heart works as a pump that pushes blood to the
organs, tissues, and cells of your body. The blood pumped by
the heart delivers oxygen and nutrients to every cell and
removes the carbon dioxide and waste products made by those
cells. But if blood flow to the heart is slowed or stopped
or the heart beats irregularly, your life may be in danger.
Like your car engine, how you treat your heart will
determine how long and how well it will continue to work for
you. |
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Non modifiable risk factors are
gender, age, and genetics (hereditary). There are many
lifestyle risk factors which can be changed to prevent or
postpone heart disease. Medical studies show that eating a
diet low in fat, salt, and cholesterol; not using any type
of tobacco; exercising at least three times a week;
maintaining ideal weight; decreasing blood pressure; and
controlling diabetes can reduce the risk of heart disease."
Exercise—or a lack of it—plays a large
role in our health. Research has shown that we need to
exercise aerobically (such as brisk walking, jogging, or
cycling) at least three times a week for 30 minutes to
condition our hearts
Making only a few sensible changes in the diet can also help
reduce the risk of heart disease. Heart-healthy habits
include limiting your salt intake to no more than a teaspoon
(6 grams) a day. (If you have high blood pressure, your
doctor may suggest that you have even less.) |
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Your diet should consist primarily of
fruits, vegetables, grain products, lean meats, and fish.
Try to decrease your level of fat (especially saturated fat)
and cholesterol (fatty red meats, whole milk, whole milk
cheeses, eggs, cream-based dishes, and rich desserts).
Drinking alcohol also affects your
heart. Medical research shows that a moderate amount of
alcohol each day protects against heart disease and heart
attacks. Experts say that moderate intake is an average of
one to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for
women. But drinking more than a moderate amount of alcohol
can cause heart-related problems such as high blood
pressure, stroke, irregular heartbeats, and cardiomyopathy
(disease of the heart muscle). It is not recommended that
nondrinkers start using alcohol or that drinkers increase
the amount that they drink.
Stress is another factor that can
affect your heart. People with heart disease often say they
have heart pain during emotionally stressful situations.
Heart attacks are also more likely to happen during times of
stress, because when we feel stressed, our hearts race and
our blood pressure rises, increasing the heart's need for
oxygen. Stress can also injure the arteries because of the
extra hormones and the increased blood flow during the
stress response. As the arterial walls begin to heal, they
thicken, making them prone to plaque buildup, which narrows
the artery. Researchers are not saying that stress causes
heart disease, but they do believe it can make heart
conditions worse.
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