According to specialists, a healthy lifestyle contributes to the prevention of cardiovascular diseases
Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of mortality in the world, even in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, and surpass any type of cancer. In general, they do not produce symptoms until it is late and a heart attack, angina pectoris or a cerebrovascular accident occurs, says Rosa Noemí Cueto, internist cardiologist, echocardiographer and president of CEIDOCA (Círculo de Egresados del Instituto Dominicano de Cardiology).
Therefore, the need to adopt the necessary precautions to avoid cardiovascular diseases. In this direction, the quality of food makes sense to maintain a healthy heart.
Routines that maintain a healthy heart
According to Cueto, the habits that we must learn and do on a daily basis to maintain good cardiovascular health and, with it, reduce the probability of most diseases are:
1. Practice physical exercise: A physically active lifestyle is associated with a reduction in the frequency and mortality of cardiovascular diseases. The recommendation is 30 minutes for 5 days a week, for a total of 150 minutes per week or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise. The most recommended exercises are of the aerobic type: running, walking with energy, swimming, or cycling.
2. Balanced or heart-healthy diet: This can help reduce three of the main factors involved in heart disease: high cholesterol, high blood pressure and excess weight. Heart-healthy habits include limiting your daily salt intake. The diet should consist mainly of fruits, vegetables, cereals, lean meats, and fish.
Also, reduce the consumption of fat, especially saturated fat, fatty red meats, whole milk, cheeses made with whole milk, eggs, cream-based dishes and desserts that contain a lot of fat, and prioritize the fat that comes from olive oil, fruits dried fish and blue fish, for their benefits on the cardiovascular system. The fiber intake (whole grains, legumes, fruits) is also very important.
3. Stop smoking in any way: Tobacco is one of the habits that can be avoided and modified to reduce the onset of heart disease. Smoking has a harmful effect on the cardiovascular system, increases the risk of thrombosis and causes a reduction in the caliber of the coronary arteries.
4. Limit alcohol: Moderate alcohol consumption (one drink for women and two glasses of red wine a day for men) has been linked to a decrease in cardiovascular disease. However, it is proven that alcohol abuse is harmful to health.
5. Control your body weight: Various studies have shown that obesity aggravates heart problems due to overstressing the heart, predisposes to suffering from hypertension, coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular accidents, favors the appearance of type 2 diabetes. In the Dominican Republic the ENPREFAR HAS study 17, demonstrated that 60% of the po[CENSORED]tion was overweight or obese. Each person must be aware of this and counteract it.
6. Reduce stress: Stress is another factor that can affect the heart. You are more likely to have a heart attack during times of stress, because your heart races and blood pressure increases. When this happens, the heart needs more oxygen. This is not to say that stress causes cardiovascular disease, but it does seem that it can aggravate them. It is important, therefore, to find moments for relaxing and pleasant activities, such as walks, yoga, etc.
7. Control diabetes: In people with diabetes, tight control of their blood glucose (sugar) levels prevents what are known as complications of diabetes in which, basically, the high glucose level maintained causes a deterioration of the body's arteries mainly affecting organs such as the heart, brain, kidneys and vision.
8. Control of blood pressure: Hypertension is the elevation, maintained over time, of systolic blood pressure (which is known as the maximum) and / or diastolic (known as the minimum). It usually does not give any symptoms, but it is important to detect and treat it, because it is associated with potentially serious heart diseases such as heart failure and myocardial infarction.
Hypertension is considered when blood pressure figures are above 140 / 90mmHg. You should see a doctor regularly to control the figures and if they appear high, it is important to follow a series of hygienic-dietary measures (exercise, lose weight, limit salt) as well as the pharmacological treatment that is indicated.
9. Keep cholesterol at bay: Excess cholesterol in the blood accumulates on the walls of the arteries, contributing to the process of arteriosclerosis. It has been shown that people with high cholesterol levels have twice the risk of suffering a heart attack. Prevention is as simple as eating healthy, controlling weight, and exercising. In cases where it is required.