Prevent Heart Disease and Stroke
How can you live a long, healthy life? Here are eight essential steps that can help you to reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke if you have never had it. They are part of a healthy adult life. They can also help you build a strong immune system with your health care team (doctors, nurses, pharmacists, registered dietitians, and other professionals).
1. Know your risk.
If you are between 40 and 75 years old and have never had a heart attack or stroke, use our check. Change. Control. Calculator TM to measure your risk of cardiovascular risk over the next 10 years. Certain factors may increase your risk, such as smoking, kidney disease or a family history of primary heart disease. Knowing your risk factors can help you and your health care team decide on the best health plan for you. Many harmful things can be improved by changing one's lifestyle.
2. Eat a healthy diet.
Keep your diet close to vegetables, fruits, grains, whole grains, nuts, plant proteins, lean animal protein and fish. Make wise choices such as cutting down on carbohydrates, processed meat, and sugary drinks. Use a nutritional fact label on packaged foods to lower sodium, extra sugar and saturated fat, and avoid fat.
3. Be physically active.
Move further - it is one of the best ways to stay healthy, prevent disease and age well. Adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of strenuous activity each week. If you are already working, you can expand your efforts to get more benefits. If you are not working right now, start by simply sitting still and moving more.
4. Be aware of your weight.
Maintain a healthy weight. Lose weight if you are overweight or obese. Start by eating fewer calories and move on to more. You can check your body weight index (BMI). If you need help, talk to your health team about a weight loss program.
5. Live without tobacco.
If you do not smoke, wear a vape or use tobacco products, do not start. There is no such thing as a safe tobacco product. If quitting smoking or smoking is a challenge for you, ask your team to help you break the habit using proven methods. Do not simply change the source of one cigarette. And try to avoid cigarette smoke, too!
6. Manage situations.
If you have high blood pressure (hypertension), high cholesterol, high blood sugar, diabetes or other risk factors, it is very important to work with your health care team and make lifestyle changes. Many conditions can be prevented or controlled by better diet, diligence, weight loss and smoking cessation.
7. Take your medicine.
If you have a health condition, your doctor may prescribe statins or other medications to help control your cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure. Take all medicines as prescribed. But do not take aspirin as a preventative measure unless your doctor prescribes it. If you have never had a heart attack or stroke, daily aspirin may not help you at all and may cause problems, including the risk of bleeding. If you have ever had a heart attack or stroke, your doctor may want you to take a low dose of aspirin to reduce your risk of having it.
8. Be a team player.
Your healthcare team can help you reduce your risk of heart disease or stroke to live a longer, healthier life. Work together on your prevention plan. Ask questions, and be open to any challenges you may face in trying to make healthy changes. Stress, sleep, mental health, family circumstances, tobacco use, food access, social support and other problems can affect your health and well-being.
Live well today to be healthy tomorrow.
The main point? A healthy lifestyle is the best way to delay or prevent many heart and brain diseases. This means being diligent and healthy, eating healthy, avoiding tobacco, and managing situations that can put you at greater risk. Take control of your health. Join Healthy for Good to get tips, tools and inspiration for change and create healthy habits that you can maintain for the rest of your life.
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