10 Steps to Improving Heart Disease
Lower Your Cholesterol. Diet is obviously a very important factor in determining the health of your heart, and one of the most important things is knowing what to do avoid beyond simplistic orders like avoid junk food. You need to know to check food packaging for levels of saturated and trans fat, and also that monounsaturated fats and Omega 3 fatty acids will actually LOWER your LD cholesterol, the best way to avoid atherosclerosis. Foods that lower your LD cholesterol include salmon, garlic, avocado, dark green, leafy vegetables like spinach and kale, black beans, shiitake mushrooms, walnuts and blueberries.
Raise Your HDL levels. A persons level of High Density Lipoproteins, or HDL. plays a big part in the health of their arteries. HDL can bond with deposits of cholesterol that block up the arteries, transporting them back to the liver, where they can be reused or excreted. Genetics seems to play a big role in HDL levels (women, on average, have higher levels than men, with a corresponding lower incidence of atherosclerosis), but there are few things you can do to raise yours. Â Among others, these including adding soluble fiber to your diet while cutting your consumption of trans fats to zero. An alcoholic drink a day yields higher HDL (red wine is your healthiest option), though more than that could be putting you at risk of other heart problems. Losing weight also has a positive effect on HDL levels, which brings us to point number 3.
Exercise.Aerobic exercise that challenges your lungs and heart can greatly help to strengthen your heart and reduce your LDL cholesterol, even as it raises your HDL levels. Since it also adds to your general sense of well-being through endorphin production and improved bodily functionality, it should be a priority for anyone looking to improve their chances of avoiding or recovering from heart-disease.
Quit smoking. Upon smoking cessation, it takes only about three days for breathing to ease, and within three months circulation will have noticeably improved. Five year after a regular smoker quits, their risk of heart attack drops to half that of a smoker, and after ten years may be about the same as the average person. HDL levels also go up, often by five or six points.
Keep Your Stress Levels Low. Bottling up your emotions can have very negative effects on your long term health, as the incidence of a panic or anxiety attack could bring on a heart attack. Deal with problems when they arise and maintain honest relationships with your friend and family to avoid life-threatening stress.
Domiciliary Oxygen Supplementation. Along with quitting smoking, this has been found by several studies to be the most effective measure in reducing casualties of heart disease. Since high levels of oxygen in the tissues of those who don't need them can be harmful, you need to find out whether you're a candidate for oxygen supplementation.
Consult Your Doctor Regularly. While it may be prohibitively expensive for some, this really is the best way to keep track of your heart health, and to track your improvement if you're steadfast in taking control of your health and well being. Establish how much you can afford to spend in the first year, and be religious about your attendance. And this is not the only medical professional you should consult.
Visit A Shrink At Least Once. Especially if you're in cardiac rehabilitation, it's easy slip into depression and see yourself as a victim of uncontrollably difficult circumstance. Often these psychological symptoms can contribute to the development of negative behavior patterns that can persist even once the clinical problem has been treated. Visit a psychologist at least once.
Take Aspirin or Statin Drugs. Again, this is only with the agreement of your physician. Be aware that aspirin can create problems of its own, as its anti-clotting effect can make it difficult for your body to form scabs or heal. Statin drugs have also been the subject of some controversy of late, with some claiming that they may increase cancer risks, so do some research to see what the latest findings about the drugs you're taking suggest you do to offset negative effects through supplementation.
Create Action Plans. As much as you might do to reduce your risk of an attack, it will always remain a possibility. You need to know what the best response on the part of your friends and family is in the case of your particular disorder. If it's possible, have your partner take a first aid course. Often treatment needs to be administered in under an hour to ensure that you avoid long term damage to your heart muscle. Keep the number of your doctor and of local medical services close at hand to ensure that the response you need happens as quickly as possible.
Lower Your Cholesterol. Diet is obviously a very important factor in determining the health of your heart, and one of the most important things is knowing what to do avoid beyond simplistic orders like avoid junk food. You need to know to check food packaging for levels of saturated and trans fat, and also that monounsaturated fats and Omega 3 fatty acids will actually LOWER your LD cholesterol, the best way to avoid atherosclerosis. Foods that lower your LD cholesterol include salmon, garlic, avocado, dark green, leafy vegetables like spinach and kale, black beans, shiitake mushrooms, walnuts and blueberries.
Raise Your HDL levels. A persons level of High Density Lipoproteins, or HDL. plays a big part in the health of their arteries. HDL can bond with deposits of cholesterol that block up the arteries, transporting them back to the liver, where they can be reused or excreted. Genetics seems to play a big role in HDL levels (women, on average, have higher levels than men, with a corresponding lower incidence of atherosclerosis), but there are few things you can do to raise yours. Â Among others, these including adding soluble fiber to your diet while cutting your consumption of trans fats to zero. An alcoholic drink a day yields higher HDL (red wine is your healthiest option), though more than that could be putting you at risk of other heart problems. Losing weight also has a positive effect on HDL levels, which brings us to point number 3.
Exercise.Aerobic exercise that challenges your lungs and heart can greatly help to strengthen your heart and reduce your LDL cholesterol, even as it raises your HDL levels. Since it also adds to your general sense of well-being through endorphin production and improved bodily functionality, it should be a priority for anyone looking to improve their chances of avoiding or recovering from heart-disease.
Quit smoking. Upon smoking cessation, it takes only about three days for breathing to ease, and within three months circulation will have noticeably improved. Five year after a regular smoker quits, their risk of heart attack drops to half that of a smoker, and after ten years may be about the same as the average person. HDL levels also go up, often by five or six points.
Keep Your Stress Levels Low. Bottling up your emotions can have very negative effects on your long term health, as the incidence of a panic or anxiety attack could bring on a heart attack. Deal with problems when they arise and maintain honest relationships with your friend and family to avoid life-threatening stress.
Domiciliary Oxygen Supplementation. Along with quitting smoking, this has been found by several studies to be the most effective measure in reducing casualties of heart disease. Since high levels of oxygen in the tissues of those who don't need them can be harmful, you need to find out whether you're a candidate for oxygen supplementation.
Consult Your Doctor Regularly. While it may be prohibitively expensive for some, this really is the best way to keep track of your heart health, and to track your improvement if you're steadfast in taking control of your health and well being. Establish how much you can afford to spend in the first year, and be religious about your attendance. And this is not the only medical professional you should consult.
Visit A Shrink At Least Once. Especially if you're in cardiac rehabilitation, it's easy slip into depression and see yourself as a victim of uncontrollably difficult circumstance. Often these psychological symptoms can contribute to the development of negative behavior patterns that can persist even once the clinical problem has been treated. Visit a psychologist at least once.
Take Aspirin or Statin Drugs. Again, this is only with the agreement of your physician. Be aware that aspirin can create problems of its own, as its anti-clotting effect can make it difficult for your body to form scabs or heal. Statin drugs have also been the subject of some controversy of late, with some claiming that they may increase cancer risks, so do some research to see what the latest findings about the drugs you're taking suggest you do to offset negative effects through supplementation.
Create Action Plans. As much as you might do to reduce your risk of an attack, it will always remain a possibility. You need to know what the best response on the part of your friends and family is in the case of your particular disorder. If it's possible, have your partner take a first aid course. Often treatment needs to be administered in under an hour to ensure that you avoid long term damage to your heart muscle. Keep the number of your doctor and of local medical services close at hand to ensure that the response you need happens as quickly as possible.