You Can Prevent Heart Disease!

Yes, It IS Possible to Prevent Heart Disease – Here’s How

We all know that heart disease is the #1 cause of death in the US (and many other countries) for both women and men. But the good news is that it IS possible to prevent heart disease! It involves making some changes, but in fact, making these changes can:-

• Reduce nearly 80% of heart diseases
• Reduce 75% of sudden cardiac deaths
• Reduce 50% of strokes

That’s quite something!

How is it possible to prevent heart disease? You have control over some of the risk factors that lead to the disease. And if you already have some symptoms, they can be reversed if you catch them early enough.

It’s never too early to start making those smart choices and start investing in a healthier, brighter, longer life.

So, let’s look first at exactly what heart disease is, and then how you can reduce your risk.

What exactly is heart disease?

It’s usually a broad term which refers to several conditions relating to an unhealthy heart, which may include:

• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Heart failure
• Hardening of the arteries
• Arrhythmia
• Heart valve problems

Is Heart Disease Sudden?

Generally, heart disease doesn’t happen overnight. It develops over the years, and its symptoms may be spurred on or slowed down depending on the lifestyle choices you make starting from your early adulthood years.

Some scientists even argue that it starts as early as your childhood, because many of our eating and activity habits start during our early years.

In order to prevent heart disease, you need to know what causes it. These are called risk factors.

The are some risk factors you CAN control, and others that you CAN’T.  Let’s look at them.

Risk Factors for Heart Disease That You CAN’T Control

Here’s what you can’t change in terms of risk factors:-

• Gender
• Race/ethnicity
• Family history
• Age

Risk Factors for Heart Disease That You CAN Control

Now that those are out of the way, let’s focus on what you can control.

Heart Disease is considered a lifestyle disease, which means its main causes are lifestyle choices such as diet and lack of exercise.

This is good news as it means that we have control over it, and we can make lifestyle choices that help to prevent heart disease. These lifestyle choices include:-

• Manage your weight
• Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet
• Regular exercise
• Low blood pressure
• Low cholesterol and triglycerides (the most common type of body fats) levels
• Maintain blood sugar levels
• Limit alcoholic consumption
• No smoking
• Manage stress
• Get quality, uninterrupted sleep

It’s good to know that all of these choices are green and eco-friendly and so they won’t harm the planet. And if you prevent heart disease, you’ll be avoiding hospital time and cost as well as great discomfort and possible death.

The important thing is to learn all you can about these factors and how they can be regulated so you can enjoy a healthy, strong, disease-free heart.

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Warm regards,

Editor’s Note: this article was originally published in 2018 and has been updated.