If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, what would it take to avoid a heart surgeon?
Some people aren’t too concerned about heart disease because they think it can be “cured” with surgery. This is a myth. Heart disease is a lifelong condition: Once you get it, you’ll always have it. It’s true that procedures such as angioplasty and bypass surgery can help blood and oxygen flow more easily to the heart, but the arteries remain damaged, which means you are still more likely to have a heart attack.
What’s more, the condition of your blood vessels will steadily worsen unless you make changes in your daily habits and control your risk factors. Many people die of complications from heart disease or become permanently disabled. That’s why it is so vital to take action to prevent this disease.
While these tips to prevent heart disease will provide you with some very good ideas, you will have to supply the willpower. After all, change is doesn't always come naturally to most of us, at least at first. Nevertheless, these tips are interesting, affordable, and achievable.
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Bring out the fish oil.
Fish oil has been around a long time but it wasn't until recently that research determined that the oil from cold water fatty fish (salmon, anchovies, herring, sardines, albacore tuna) provides protection against coronary disease. The omega 3 fatty acids found in fish oil help lower triglycerides (fats in the blood), lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of blood clots, improve arterial health, and reduce the amount of arterial plaque (which narrows arteries can lead to a heart attack).
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Become more active.
The latest studies reveal that 39.5% of those who have a heart attack are considered to be inactive. This certainly makes a lot of sense, because as a person grows older they generally tend to be less active. The Surgeon General recommends that adults exercise five or more days a week for 30 minutes or more.
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Watch your weight.
With so many people overweight, it is easy to see how this heart-disease prevention tip might be the hardest to master. After all, we live in a sea of fattening foods at affordable prices. Excess weight increases the amount of work the heart has to do. It also raises blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and triglyceride levels, and lowers artery-scrubbing HDL (good) cholesterol levels.
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Don't smoke.
Saying no to cigarettes is not an easy thing to do, but quitting is an intricate part of any effective heart-disease–prevention plan. One recent study found smokers are four times more likely to develop heart disease than non-smokers.
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Change your eating habits.
One of best suggestions here is to eat more fruits, vegetables, and soluble-fiber foods (oat bran, apples, pears) and less meat. Additionally, substituting fish twice a week for other meats is a heart-healthy idea as well.
In summary, heart disease prevention is simply about making smart lifestyle choices combined with supplementation.