Cardiovascular and heart diseases are sometimes called the 'silent killer' and this isn’t a coincidence - they often occur without any noticeable symptoms in their initial phase, which is the reason for their neglect or late diagnosis. Cardiovascular disease and its complications are among the leading cause of death worldwide. According to the American Heart Association to 50% of men and 63% of women who died suddenly of some kind of heart disease had no symptoms! This, however, does not mean that we can not take measures to prevent these diseases. As in many other cases, heart disease prevention is the main way to keep yourself in good health and to discover and treat in time any existing heart problems.
What are the risk factors
The most common factors leading to the development of various cardiovascular diseases in both men and women are:
• tobacco smoking
• alcohol abuse
• hypertension
• high cholesterol levels
• a family history of cardiovascular disease
• age
The following 10 tips will help you navigate through and show you where to start in the prevention of various diseases of the cardiovascular system.
Take regular medical check-ups
Do not underestimate the preventive examinations and visit a cardiologist at least once a year to make sure that everything is fine. Among the best methods to study heart related diseases is computer tomography (CT). This is a technology to detect even small amounts of calcium in the arteries of the heart. Deferred calcium in the arteries is directly related to the risk of cardiovascular diseases. CT is fast, painless and non-invasive test that takes no more than ten minutes, while at the same time provides valuable information that can help to prevent complications such as being treated on time.
Quit smoking
Smoking is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Giving up this harmful habit can significantly reduce the risk of developing or complication of an existing heart disease.
Monitor your blood pressure
Increased blood pressure contributes significantly to increased risk of heart attack and other cardiovascular diseases. However, if treated promptly, high blood pressure can be treated and the risk of heart attack or stroke can be reduced significantly. Regular exercise and a healthy diet also help blood pressure to be kept within normal limits. Using less salt also helps normalize high blood pressure.
Do not underestimate the signs of the body
If you experience pain or tingling in the chest, shoulder, neck or jaw - immediately contact a doctor. These may be signs that you are liable to a serious heart problem. Do not underestimate the signs that your body gives you. Some symptoms such as shortness of breath or nausea often can also be connected with heart health.
Check your cholesterol levels
To take a test for cholesterol levels you may need to contact your doctor. High levels of cholesterol are particularly risky for heart disease, but with proper diet and moderate physical activity levels you can easily return to normal and the risk is usually dramatically reduced when measures are being taken. In certain cases your doctor may recommend certain medications that can help in case of comorbidities.
Exercise more
Sport is health, and in case of increased risk of heart disease is highly recommended to be active in sports. Aerobic exercises, walking, swimming and bicycling are very good options with which to keep fit and improve the overall health of the heart. Of course, if you have heart disease or suffer from high blood pressure, it is appropriate to consult your doctor to guide you about how often to exercise and engage in sports.
Keep your weight in norm
Being overweight is a big problem for the heart (no pun intended). In this case, the heart and the vessels are loaded further, which disrupts the overall physical condition of the heart and vessels thus carrying serious risk of complications to the cardiovascular system. Diet that is low in fat and complex carbohydrates responds well to overall heart performance and helps reduce excess weight.
Reduce saturated fat
For maintaining good health of the heart it is important to limit your intake of fats, or - in the best case scenario - to turn the intake of saturated fats completely off your diet.
Control diabetes
If you have diabetes it is extremely important to follow doctors' recommendations in order to keep your heart in good health. Diabetes is of serious risk to the heart. Control the disease as recommended by your doctor and undergo regular tests.
Do not underestimate family history
'Family history' is assessment of the risk of disease based on the information on health problems of relatives (mother, father, brother), which can provide information about the potential risk of developing these diseases after a certain age.
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