More than 600,000 Americans die of heart disease every year – that’s a quarter of all deaths – and many of them are preventable. According to the Centers for Disease Control, about half of Americans have one of the three key risk factors: high blood pressure, high cholesterol and smoking.
Dr. Venkat Battula, a cardiologist with Lima Memorial Hospital Heart Institute of Northwest Ohio, educates his patients every day about the actions they can take to lower their heart attack risk.
“While no one action can completely eliminate your risk of heart attack or heart disease, there are steps you can take in your everyday life to minimize it,” explains Dr. Battula. “These are especially important for anyone with a family history of heart problems, but every one should take note.”
Here are 10 lifestyle changes you can make to reduce your own risk today:
1. Maintain a healthy weight
More than two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese, increasing their risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and other causes or co-factors of heart disease. You are generally considered overweight if you have a body mass index over 25. Losing just 20 pounds reduces the risk of heart disease by 15 – 21 percent.
“Maintaining a healthy body weight is proven time and time again to significantly decrease your risk of developing heart problems,” adds Dr. Battula.
2. Pay attention to your diet
Even if your weight is in check, how you eat can affect your heart. Salts, sugars, saturate fats and tans fat are all known to negatively impact your heart health. While fast foods and fried treats are no brainers, you should also reduce your intake of red meat, full-fat dairy products, coconut and palm oils and margarine.
Instead, swap those fatty foods for heart health alternatives, like whole grains, fish, and, of course, fruits and vegetables. Healthy fats from plant-based sources such as avocado, nuts, olives and olive oil can also help your heart by lowering the bad type of cholesterol (LDL), recommends Dr. Battula.
4. Cut out the cigarettes
The Surgeon General named cigarette smoking “the leading preventable cause of disease and deaths in the United States.” In fact, smokers are 2-4 times more likely to develop heart disease.
5. Get up and move each day
Whether it’s an evening bike ride or simply taking a couple walks a day, regular exercise is key to heart health. The Department of Health and Human Services recommends 150 minutes a week (30 minutes/day x 5 days) of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes a week (15 minutes x 5 days) of vigorous aerobic activity.
This is especially true is you spend a significant amount of time sitting. Recent research suggests that even if you’re physically active, a sedentary lifestyle is bad for your heart.
6. Spend more time sleeping
Americans sleep, on average, nearly two hours less nightly than our grandparents did 50 years ago. A 2011 study found insufficient sleep increased the risk of dying from heart disease by 48 percent. The optimal amount of sleep for most people is 7-9 hours.
7. Reduce your stress
High stress for extended periods of time raises blood pressure, which is a leading risk factor. Exercising, eating right and maintaining healthy relationships are great stress relievers. So are yoga, meditation or other hobbies you enjoy.
8. Listen to your cardiologist
Medical science has developed useful pharmaceuticals to help control blood pressure and cholesterol, but they only work when taken as directed. “Skipping medications or taking prescriptions erratically can actually do more harm than good,” says Dr. Battula.
9. Know your family history
People with a history of heart disease in their family must pay extra attention to their heart health and the risk factors affecting it. “If you have a family history of heart disease, we take that into account. We’re going to be more aggressive in taking preventative measures,” says Dr. Battula.
10. Pay attention to your symptoms
Are you unable to perform ordinary tasks, like mowing the lawn, without stopping to catch your breath? Do you sweat from the slightest exertion? Do you become nauseated easily, or feel dizzy or weak? Do you feel heart palpitations? These are all signs of coronary artery disease – the leading kind of heart disease. Don’t ignore your symptoms: make an appointment with a cardiologist before the symptoms progress.
For more information about cardiology services at Lima Memorial Hospital Heart Institute of Northwest Ohio, call 419-224-5915 or visit LimaMemorial.org.
