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What threatens pressure, obesity, smoking, cholesterol and how to fix the situation
Heart, blood vessels, cholesterol, pressure – this is the main set of actively discussed today human health problems. We talked with a general practitioner, professor, doctor of medical sciences Galina Baryshnikova and found out the main secrets of heart health. How to preserve the heart, blood vessels and youth?
There are seven main risk factors that are responsible for premature cardiovascular mortality (which, alas, ranks first around the world). The first two factors are inherently what we are given, diseases that are very often hereditary. The other five are nothing more than our way of life, that is, what depends on the person himself. So get rid of them and live in peace.
This is a very common disease. Quite recently we said that 40% of the adult population in our country are hypertensive, today it is already 44%. And among men there are even 47% of them. In addition, arterial hypertension has rejuvenated, since over the past 30 years social conditions, lifestyle have changed, its rhythm has accelerated, and the amount of stress has increased.
Tip: control your pressure. It should be no higher than 140/90. Although the Americans revised their recommendations in 2017 and said that when the systolic pressure is above 130, it is already hypertension. So the criteria in this regard are getting tougher. It is important to understand that hypertension cannot be cured. It is possible to stabilize the blood pressure level at an acceptable level with the help of drugs.
In other words, lipid metabolism disorders, high cholesterol levels. This is one of the main risk factors for the development of atherosclerosis. Bad cholesterol occurs in 58% of the population.
Tip: reduce the level of bad cholesterol, first of all, by balancing your diet (you need to give up foods containing animal fats, reduce the amount of salt to 5 grams per day) and lead an active lifestyle. In special cases with aggravating factors (smoking, obesity, diabetes, hypertension), be sure to contact your doctor for medication support. I want to note that today we already have a drug that contains two components for lowering blood pressure and one component for lowering cholesterol levels. That is, you do not need to take many pills, one is enough.
Unfortunately, Russia is one of the most smoking countries in the world, and this is our problem. It is one of the three most important risk factors. It is good that this problem has begun to be addressed at the state level.
Tip: quit smoking. It is very important. Every cigarette smoked is a nail in the heart.
Lack of fruits and vegetables
It is necessary to eat properly, which means that the diet must necessarily contain vegetables and fruits. Otherwise, potassium and magnesium deficiency cannot be avoided. These are the two most important intracellular cations; they are also present in the blood plasma. Studies show that almost 90% of the population is at risk of developing a deficiency of these cations (either they already exist, or they are at the lower limit of the norm). How is their deficiency manifested? Changes in heart rate, fluctuations in blood pressure, muscle weakness are potassium deficiency. Dizziness, headaches, sleep disturbances, muscle twitching, cramps, chills, nausea, dry mouth – lack of magnesium.
Tip: Replenish your stores of potassium and magnesium constantly, and they also protect the heart from chronic stress. They are found in bananas, dried apricots, lettuce, seafood, potatoes, nuts, and chocolate. It is advisable to include these products in your diet. But for the daily potassium replenishment, you need to eat, for example, six bananas. Who will eat like this every day? Therefore, today there are special preparations that contain only these trace elements – potassium and magnesium. If you are often stressed, go to a bath or sauna, then discuss with the therapist a course of 1-2 months of therapy, for example “Panangina”, to restore the level of potassium and magnesium in the body.
Obesity is another problem for us. The waist circumference primarily indicates whether the patient is at risk. For men, waist circumference – more than 94 cm, for women – more than 80 cm indicates the risk of stroke, heart attack, heart failure, etc. In addition, the fat that is deposited in the anterior abdominal wall is not inert. It is like a hormonal organ that can actually produce some kind of hormones. In men, this “mound” is directly related to men’s health.
Tip: watch the figure. Give up fast food. An interesting study was carried out, which showed that if humanity could solve the problem of obesity, the average life expectancy would increase by four years. Is it a lot or a little? Compare. If it were possible to solve the problem of malignant tumors, the average life expectancy would increase by only a year.
A sedentary lifestyle is the scourge of today. Office workers especially suffer from this.
Tip: be active. It is believed that 30-40 minutes of daily brisk walking is already the solution to the problem. If possible, swim, get on skis, ride a bike. After all, physical activity does not at all mean that you need to lift dumbbells or a barbell, we are talking about simple exercises. And remember that physical activity is good, it strengthens the cardiovascular system, lowers both blood pressure and cholesterol levels.