Heart diseases are often termed as silent killers as they invade and slowly progress and can remain silent until very late. It is therefore essential that you are aware of the risk factors, the various forms in which heart diseases can present itself and the ways to prevent or manage them.
Risk factors
Some of the factors that increase the risk of heart diseases are:
Heredity – Genetic predisposition plays an important role in the incidence of heart diseases, cholesterol levels and blood pressure.
Obesity – It has been the main contributing factor, especially in recent times. With modernization, people have also engaged themselves in sedentary lifestyle and faulty eating habits.
Smoking – Habits like smoking, alcohol can add to the problem.
Types of heart diseases
The various types in which heart diseases can present are:
- Ischemic heart disease
This is a condition in which the arteries that carry blood get clogged due to substances like cholesterol, calcium, etc. This causes narrowing of the vessels and can affect the blood flowing through them, thus causing a sudden stoppage of blood supply to any part of the body.
- Hypertension
This is a condition when the blood pressure, which is the force exerted by the blood on the walls of the arteries is persistently high. This can have dangerous effects on the heart health and needs to be managed in time.
- Dyslipidemia
This is a condition, where the bad cholesterol levels in blood are high and the good cholesterol levels are low. This is an additional risk that can contribute to the clogging of arteries.
Preventing heart disease
Heart disease can be prevented by making some modifications in your diet and lifestyle.
- Maintain a healthy weight in order to maintain heart health and all the contributing factors at optimum levels.
- Plan a healthy diet with low sugar, low fat products and include protein rich foods. Add fiber to your diet as it helps to reduce cholesterol and excess weight. Add fish oils to your diet as they provide you with good cholesterol.
- Exercise regularly to help build a natural bypass of blood supply to your heart. The hormones released also help to reduce your stress and anxiety. Cardiovascular exercise like walking, cycling, aerobics and swimming will also help to keep that excess fat away.
- Learn to relax and meditate in order to keep calm.
- Get yourself checked regularly, follow your doctor’s advice and treatment plan and get your investigations done on time.
