You can prevent cardiovascular diseases by getting a better understanding of the disease and knowing its risk factors. Cardiovascular diseases are conditions that affect the function of the heart leading to heart diseases. There are different types of heart diseases that include heart attack, heart failure, heart infection, heart valve disease, etc. The cause of heart disease depends on its specific type. However, risk factors that lead to different types of cardiovascular disease are common. Some risk factors are out of control, while others are. Learning about them can help to prevent cardiovascular diseases.
Examples of the risk factors that we cannot control to prevent cardiovascular diseases
- Age
- Sex
- Race
- Family history
Examples of risk factors that can be controlled to prevent cardiovascular disease
- High blood sugar
- High levels of cholesterol
- Being overweight or obesity
- Unhealthy diet
- Physical inactivity
- Smoking
- Consumption of alcohol
- Stress
Steps to prevent cardiovascular diseases
- Regular checkups: You can reduce your risk of heart disease by having regular health checks to control your blood pressure and cholesterol.
- Enough quality sleep: Adults should sleep 7-9 hours a night to avoid high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, and depression.
- Reduce stress: Some people under stress have a habit of overeating, heavy drinking, and smoking which increases blood pressure and the risk of a heart attack.
- Stop smoking: Smoking increases blood pressure and the risk for heart attack and stroke hence you should stop smoking.
- Limit the consumption of alcohol: Drinking alcohol raises blood pressure and adds extra calories to the body. This causes weight gain and increases the risk of heart disease.
- Maintain a healthy weight: Excess weight or obesity can increase blood sugar, blood pressure, high cholesterol. We should maintain our weight to lower these risks.
- Regular exercise: It helps to maintain a healthy weight and reduces the chance of getting high cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure.
- Eat a healthy diet: Include vegetables, fruits, beans, fish, fat-free dairy foods, whole grains, and healthy fats in your diet to prevent cardiovascular diseases.
If you have any symptoms of heart disease, consult with your doctor. This test is a group of five tests done to check the levels of cardiac risk markers present in your blood. It helps to evaluate the risk of heart disease.
