Guide To Heart Disease Prevention
Heart disease describes a group of conditions where the arteries become narrowed or blocked, putting the patient at a higher risk of experiencing a fatal heart attack. Heart disease may also refer to conditions including coronary artery disease, congenital heart defects, cardiomyopathy, heart infections, valvular heart disease arrhythmias, and others. Many diseases that affect the heart are genetic, while others like heart infections and atherosclerosis develop and progress over time. The most common mechanism behind heart disease is when the arteries become damaged from high blood pressure, allowing cholesterol to penetrate and build up inside the artery. This substance that accumulates inside blood vessels is called plaque, and it makes the vessels stiff, narrow, and hard.
Some risk factors are beyond control, but several can be controlled. Heart disease is best prevented by the elimination of all risk factors. Get more details on this now.
Maintain A Healthy Weight
One of the most significant ways that an individual can proactively help prevent the development of heart disease is to maintain a healthy weight. Individuals who are overweight or obese have a considerably higher risk of developing heart disease than individuals of a healthy weight. Excess fat tissue can cause high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol to decrease, which increases the plaque-forming low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in their body. More blood must be circulated around the body in overweight or obese individuals to meet the oxygen and nutrient demand of all their body tissues. This increased circulation in patients is accomplished through an increase in blood pressure and pushing the heart to work faster and harder. Excess fat in the body causes an individual's heart to operate at maximum capacity just to pump blood around the body with everyday activity. Obesity is also the cause of diabetes, a condition where a patient's body is unable to regulate the amount of sugar in their blood properly. High blood sugar is damaging to the cardiovascular system and must be managed accordingly to prevent heart disease. Engaging in at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week and consuming a heart-healthy diet can help an individual maintain a healthy weight.
Read more about preventing heart disease now.
Manage Blood Pressure
An individual who wants to prevent the development of heart disease will need to manage their blood pressure. Heart disease develops when plaque, a fatty substance made primarily out of LDL cholesterol, accumulates in an individual's blood vessels and causes them to become too narrow, damaging the vessels. The most prevalent cause of blood vessel lining damage is high blood pressure. Blood pressure refers to the force of the blood against the vessel walls as it moves through them. Damage to the lining occurs when blood pressure exceeds the ability of the blood vessels to expand to accommodate it. Keeping blood pressure low, therefore, can help prevent the development of heart disease.
Keep reading to uncover more options for preventing heart disease now.
