Approximately 6 million Americans live with heart failure and it is common in the United States. To lower your risk of getting this condition, there are simple steps that you can take.
What Is Heart Failure?
When your heart can’t pump enough oxygen and blood to your muscles and organs, there is an obvious chance that you can get heart failure. Many people with heart failure live active lives though doctors haven’t found a cure yet.
Heart failure develops over time and for multiple reasons it usually doesn’t sneak up on people. It is significant to know about it, if you are prone to develop heart disease. By knowing that, you can take steps to prevent it.
How Could I Get It?
Certain conditions can weaken your heart and make your heart work harder. Some of them are:
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Coronary artery disease
- Past heart attack
- Being too overweight
All the things including Smoking, Drinking too much alcohol, and Using illegal drugs lead to damaging of your heart.
Your chances of heart failure are raised because of these things:
- Race (African-Americans are more likely to get heart failure)
- Heart defects that you’re born with
- Age (your odds rise if you’re 65 or older)
Can I Prevent Heart Failure?
You can minimize your chances of getting heart failure. The better your chances of prevention are, if you start early. According to hospital in UAE You can begin to prevent heart failure, by following these simple steps,
- Maintain a healthy body weight.
- Regular exercise.
- Eat lots of whole grains, lean proteins, fruits, and vegetables.
- Minimize intake of bad fats, added sugars, salt, and alcohol.
- Don’t smoke or use recreational drugs.
- Reduce your stress level.
- Get enough quality sleep.
Talk to your doctor immediately, if you think you could be likely to have a heart failure. To help manage the condition, they may start you on medications. It is never too late to make lifestyle changes that can protect your heart in the long run.
1. Stay Active
Starting up an exercise routine is never too late. Middle-aged women and men who were not fit could still reduce their chances of heart failure if they took these steps to improve their fitness according to one study. Before you get started, you check with your doctor. A week of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise should be practised for at least 2 ½ hours a week. The kind of exercise that should raise your heart rate. You can do 1 ¼ hours of intense activity, if you like this kind of work-out.
2. Don’t Just Sit There
Your risk for heart failure may rise, if you sit around a lot, especially if you are a man, even if you do exercise. Even the ones who exercised were more likely to get heart failure than the ones who limited their idle time to 2 hours or less as compared to men who sat for 5 consecutive hours or more a day apart from work, in one study. So, it is advisable to keep yourself moving instead of sitting.
3. Don’t Use Illegal Drugs
The use of drugs like Heroin, Cocaine, Ecstasy, and Methamphetamines can damage your heart. Your blood pressure and heart rate can rise because of these. Hardening of arteries can happen because of these. Your risk of heart failure may rise because of these.
4. Treat Heart and Other Conditions
Your chances of getting heart failure is raised because of other heart conditions like heart attacks. Your ticker should be taken care of. To lower your cholesterol levels, you should treat your high blood pressure and take any probable medicine prescribed by your doctor. If you are facing problems while taking your medicines as prescribed, talk to your doctor right away.
5. Don’t Smoke
You should quit, if you have the habit of smoking. On the ways to stop, you should ask your doctor. It may lead you down the road to heart failure as smoking damages your arteries. You should try to avoid and refrain from secondhand smoke as well because it is equally harmful.
6. Eat Right
If you want to prevent heart failure, good nutrition is important too. Avoid Trans fats, Extra sugar, Saturated fats, and Salt in your diet. Opt for Low-fat dairy products, Fruits and veggies, and Lean protein. Go for “Good fats” in Olive oil, Avocados, Walnuts, and Fish like Tuna or Salmon.
7. Limit intake of Alcohol
A lot of intake of alcohol is dangerous for you though a little can be good for your heart. 2 drinks per day (5-ounce glass of wine is equal to 1 drink) will be enough for you, If you are a man. Only 1 drink a day should be drunk by women, if necessary.
Calories are also added if you drink too much. Alcohol can make it worse, if you already have heart failure.
8. Lose Weight if You Need To
To maintain a healthy weight is another important way to prevent heart failure. Your aim should be to maintain a body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 24.9. Your risk of heart disease increases more if you have fat on your belly as compared to fat on other parts of your body. Huge impact can be made on your overall health even if you lose a small amount of fat off your body.
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