These eight key factors can help lower your risk of heart attack and stroke if it has never happened before. They are part of a healthy lifestyle for adults, and can assist in creating a solid counteraction plan with your health care team (doctors, medical attendants, pharmacists, dietitians and other professionals).
1. Know Your Risk.
Say you are between 40 and 75 years old and have never suffered a heart attack or stroke before. Some factors such as smoking, kidney disease or having family history of early heart disease could increase your risk. Knowing these risk factors is a powerful way for both you and your healthcare team to develop the optimal plan of care; and many can even be reduced through lifestyle modifications.
2. Eat A Healthy Diet.
Focus your eating plan around vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts, plant-based proteins, lean animal proteins and fish. Make smart choices such as restricting refined carbohydrates, processed meats and sweetened drinks while using nutrition facts labels on packaged food to reduce sodium, added sugars and saturated fats and eliminate trans fat.
3. Be Physically Active.
Movement is one of the best ways to maintain health, prevent disease and age gracefully. Adults should engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-force aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity each week; those already engaged can increase their activity for additional benefits; those not currently active should start by sitting less and moving more.
4. Watch Your Weight.
Stay at a healthy weight for yourself. If you are overweight or hefty, get in shape by cutting calories and moving more. Check your Body Mass Index (BMI). For additional support and assistance with weight loss plans.
5. Live Tobacco-Free.
Don’t use tobacco products. If you don’t currently smoke, vape, or use tobacco items, never start. There is no such thing as safe tobacco. If stopping smoking or tobacco use poses difficulty for you, ask for support from your team in phasing it out using proven techniques – rather than replacing one form with another! And make an effort to stay clear from secondhand smoke as well!
6. Manage Conditions.
If you suffer from high blood pressure (hypertension), elevated cholesterol, high blood sugar or diabetes – conditions which put your health at greater risk – working closely with your health care team and making lifestyle adjustments may help mitigate or manage these diseases. Eating healthily, staying active, losing weight and cutting out tobacco are some of the steps that may prevent or manage them effectively.
7. Take Your Medicine.
If you are living with an ongoing health condition, your doctor may suggest medications like statins to assist in controlling cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure levels. Take these as directed; however do not take aspirin unless specifically advised to by your physician as it could potentially increase risk and even increase mortality; on the other hand if you’ve already suffered a heart attack or stroke, taking aspirin could reduce risks and decrease risks; take note though – taking daily aspirin could do more harm than good; while taking a low dose aspirin could lower risks even further; should have had one before occurring aspirin could reduce risks significantly or decrease risks further down.
8. Be A Team Player.
Your health care team can assist in decreasing the risk of heart disease or stroke to enable you to lead an extended and healthier life. Work on creating an anticipation plan together. Share any challenges related to making healthier changes such as stress levels, rest, mental health concerns, family situations, tobacco use, food access or social support issues which may impact on both health and wealth.
