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Some heart diseases can be passed down from parent to child, but certain lifestyle choices can cause others. Some risk factors for getting heart disease are diabetes, smoking, high cholesterol, a lack of exercise, high blood pressure, poor diet, sleep apnea, and obesity. If you have many of these things, you have a higher chance of having heart disease when you are older. Men who are over the age of 45 and women who are over the age of 55 are at greater risk of having heart disease. To reduce your risk of heart disease, try changing your lifestyle choices by following these tips.
Limit the consumption of alcohol: Try to limit alcohol to once or twice a week. If you drink alcohol every day, limit your consumption to 2 drinks a day maximum to help lower your risk of heart disease.
Reduce the stress in your life: This can be difficult, as we don’t always get to choose how our lives go. You can try reading a book or visiting with friends often to take your mind off the things that put stress on you the most.
Get some exercise daily: Talk to your doctor to review your current health before doing any extreme physical workouts. If you are at risk, high-intensity exercises could be fatal. Going for a walk every day is good for the heart and keeps the blood circulation moving well. At MLP, we have light physical activities for seniors to get exercise and socialize with peers.
Eat nutrient-rich foods: When eating, make sure to have vegetables and fruits, grains, milk, and meat products in your diet. Try to avoid too many trans and saturated fats, salt, and processed foods. Eating nutritious foods also helps you maintain a healthy weight. At MLP, our meals are carefully thought through to deliver highly nutritious meals and snacks to our residents throughout the day.
Quit smoking: It can be one of the hardest things to do if you’ve smoked for most of your life. But, even if you’ve already developed heart disease or cancer from smoking, quitting can reduce the risk of having another heart attack by 50%. If you’ve never touched a cigarette, don’t start now!
To be tested, ask your healthcare provider to check your blood pressure and cholesterol levels regularly. Also, if you have a family member with diabetes or had diabetes while pregnant, make sure to be routinely screened for diabetes, as it increases your risk of getting heart disease.
