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In Poland, someone dies of heart every nine minutes. According to experts, however, there is good information: at least 80 percent. cardiovascular disease cases can be prevented by modifying risk factors and controlling already existing disorders and diseases. How do you make your heart ring like a bell again?
Eat for your heart
What does not serve our heart is sugar, salt and saturated fats, which are all found in processed foods. The basis of the diet of people with cardiovascular diseases should be products of plant origin – vegetables, fruits and whole grain cereal products (coarse grains, brown rice, wholemeal pasta, oatmeal). It is recommended to eat sea fish rich in long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids from the omega-3 family, lean meats (chicken, turkey, veal) and lean dairy products.
When consuming fats, one should remember a simple rule: saturated fats are replaced with polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids: olive oil, rapeseed oil, linseed oil, avocado, nuts. Importantly, we need to control not only the composition of the plate, but the size of the portion. It’s best to eat small meals every 2-3 hours. When it comes to the way of preparing dishes, cardiac patients should say goodbye to the pan and make friends with the steamer. And it is necessary to limit the amount of salt (daily consumption less than 5 g) – instead of “white death” it is worth giving your taste buds the power of spices: basil, cumin, turmeric.
Train as best you can
Kinesiotherapy, i.e. treatment with movement, plays a significant role in patients with cardiovascular diseases. Firstly, it allows you to maintain a healthy weight, secondly: as research shows, it has a positive effect on the lipid profile and allows you to lower the value of blood pressure. Moreover, physical exercise causes the development of collateral circulation of the heart and improves its blood supply. Training intensity should be selected rationally, and the selection of exercises should be consulted with a doctor or physiotherapist. This is especially true of patients with more advanced disease.
The most popular and safe forms of physical activity in cardiac rehabilitation include: marches and walks, Nordic walking, cycling and swimming. It is worth being active during everyday activities – instead of an elevator, choose the stairs, park the car one street away, more often choose two wheels, not four – small habits in the long run will help us build better efficiency and condition.
Maintain a healthy weight
In the implementation of the next principle, the two previous ones will help you, that is, a balanced diet and regular, moderate physical activity. Why is maintaining a healthy BMI (body mass index) so important? Numerous studies have shown that overweight and obesity, especially visceral obesity, are risk factors for cardiovascular diseases such as: hypertension, coronary artery disease, heart failure, and arrhythmias. Obesity also increases the risk of sudden cardiac death.
Visit a cardiologist
Unlike a runny nose, heart disease does not go away on its own, which means you cannot cancel your scheduled visit to the cardiologist as soon as you feel better. Lack of cooperation with a doctor and low persistence in compliance with medical recommendations significantly burden the prognosis, both in patients without diseases caused by atherosclerosis and in patients with ischemic heart disease or heart failure. In addition, it has been shown that time devoted to educating the patient and explaining the nature of his illness significantly increases the chances of a permanent change in the patient’s lifestyle and continuing treatment.
Follow your doctor’s instructions
So take your medication regularly at the prescribed time, don’t skip doses, don’t split tablets, and don’t stop treatment! Why is strict compliance so important? Your doctor recommends taking specific medications at certain times because of their pharmacological properties. The sense of strict adherence to drug doses and not skipping doses is clearly seen in the example of anticoagulant, anti-aggregation and anti-platelet drugs.
A decrease in their concentration in the blood immediately results in a loss of protective effect, and thus an increased risk of a heart attack or stroke. It is estimated that after discontinuation of acetylsalicylic acid, the risk of adverse cardiovascular events, such as myocardial infarction or stroke, increases more than 2-fold, and the mean time between the end of therapy and the occurrence of an incident is approximately 10 days.
Not for stimulants
The saying: everything in moderation does not work in this case. For our heart – the less alcohol and tobacco smoke, the better. Best of all, zero. Why? Too much alcohol can lead to obesity, high blood pressure and higher cholesterol levels, and it can also interact dangerously with certain medications. Smoking, on the other hand, is associated with an increased risk of developing coronary artery disease, stroke, peripheral arterial disease, and aortic aneurysm.
A smoker <50 years of age, compared to a non-smoker with the same other risk factors, has an approximately 5-fold higher risk of dying over a 10-year period! Contrary to appearances, the addiction can be effectively quit - preparations containing nicotine in the form of chewing gums, patches or tablets come to our aid. How is coffee? If your blood pressure does not exceed 140/90 mmHg, then there is no contraindication to drinking two coffees a day.
Keep your stress in check
Previous studies show that long-term stress at work or home environment significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases – up to 4 times. Stress activates the sympathetic nervous system with an increase in heart rate, an increase in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and an increase in left ventricular stroke volume.
All this is associated with an increase in myocardial oxygen demand and adverse consequences. As you can see, stress, especially long-term stress, should be avoided. How to do it? One of the easiest and best ways to get rid of shattered nerves is to exercise. In addition to sports, it is worth using relaxation and breathing exercises, listening to relaxing music and practicing meditation.
Read also: Heart disease is the greatest killer of Poles