Each year over 7 million people succumb to heart diseases. It's not only the death of a loved family member that's worrying, but also that thousands dollars are spent on managing heart disease. And all of this puts a lot of stress not only on the person suffering, but the family members too.
In the U.S. alone heart disease is the leading cause of death for both women and men. Further, in the year 2006, heart disease was projected to cost over $258 billion, in health care services, medications, and lost productivity. All in all, heart disease is a serious condition and puts both financial and psychological strain on the person afflicted and his family.
The term heart disease refers to a wide range of medical conditions affecting the heart. Some of the most prevalent of these are, coronary heart disease (CHD), heart attack, angina, acute coronary syndrome, arrhythmias, aortic aneurysm and dissection, heart failure, rheumatic heart disease etc. Sometimes these ailments are treated with cardiovascular drugs viz. antiarrhythmic agents, antithrombotic agents, vasoconstrictors, etc. At other times surgery is required along with pharmaceutical drugs. Some common surgical procedures for the heart are: Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting, Valve Repair or Replacement, Arrhythmia Treatment, Aneurysm Repair etc.
In the U.S. alone heart disease is the leading cause of death for both women and men. Further, in the year 2006, heart disease was projected to cost over $258 billion, in health care services, medications, and lost productivity. All in all, heart disease is a serious condition and puts both financial and psychological strain on the person afflicted and his family.
The term heart disease refers to a wide range of medical conditions affecting the heart. Some of the most prevalent of these are, coronary heart disease (CHD), heart attack, angina, acute coronary syndrome, arrhythmias, aortic aneurysm and dissection, heart failure, rheumatic heart disease etc. Sometimes these ailments are treated with cardiovascular drugs viz. antiarrhythmic agents, antithrombotic agents, vasoconstrictors, etc. At other times surgery is required along with pharmaceutical drugs. Some common surgical procedures for the heart are: Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting, Valve Repair or Replacement, Arrhythmia Treatment, Aneurysm Repair etc.
Despite the fact that heart disease is quite a pain, it can be treated effectively. Moreover, it has rightly been suggested that "prevention is better than cure," the same is true for heart ailments as well. Today, there are plenty of preventive measures prescribed by medical experts to keep heart ailments at bay. Following are some general guidelines that can help you go a long way to help you prevent heart ailments and to keep you smiling heartily! The suggestions outlined are for information purpose only and you should always consult your doctor on all health issues.
1. Remain Physically Active: Moderate level physical activities for a minimum of 30 minutes for most of the week keeps your heart in good health.
-->2. Do Not Smoke: As far as smoking's link to heart's health is concerned, there's no middle ground. Not to smoke at all is the only option and it is for reasons well founded. Smoking increases your risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. Even if you already smoke, quitting it would still lower your risk of heart disease.
3. Moderate Your Alcohol Consumption: When you consume alcohol in large quantities, just like smoking it has a detrimental effect on your heart and raises your risk of suffering high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke. Moderation in alcohol consumption is the key reduce heart risk.
4. Stay On A Healthy Diet: Taking good care of the overall healthy diet can helps to lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Additionally it prevents obesity, diabetes, heart disease and stroke. A good diet in this sense would mean consuming plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, eating less saturated fat and cholesterol and lowering added salt to the food.
5. Keep A Healthy Weight: When you're either overweight or obese it puts a lot of pressure on your heart amongst several other challenges. A healthy weight is usually assessed by BMI or the Body Mass Index. The index indicates the amount of body fat in the body. If you're an and have a BMI of 30 or higher you're obese. You're overweight if its between 25 and 29.9. And normal if the BMI's between 18 to 24.9. The simplest and common advice to a healthy weight is proper diet and regular physical activity.
6. Combat High Blood Cholesterol: High blood cholesterol has long been considered a heart disease culprit. In order to have well managed cholesterol levels in your body you need to eat a diet that's low in saturated fats and cholesterol and has a good quantity of fiber. Moreover, maintaining a healthy weight and a consistent exercise regimen also controls cholesterol levels. Last but not the least, have your blood cholesterol levels assessed at least every five years.
7. Keep High Blood Pressure in Check: Maintaining a high blood pressure is essential for a healthy heart. Healthy habits such as taking a healthy diet, regular physical exercise, weight management and not smoking can help you maintain a healthy blood pressure. Furthermore, you can have your blood pressure measured and assessed by your doctor who can then prescribe medication if needed, to control it.
8. Keep Diabetes Controlled and At Bay: Suffering from diabetes exposes you to heart disease in addition to other ailments. Hence, it becomes important not only to control it but take measures that can keep it at bay. You can achieve this by keeping a healthy weight and taking up regular physical activity.
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