Preventing Cardiovascular Diseases The root cause of most cardiovascular diseases is the accumulation of fatty deposits within the lines of arteries and thereby creating blockages to the flow of blood to and from the heart. Scientifically termed as atheroma, the deposits of fats are due to the various unhealthy habits that have percolated into our modern lifestyle such as excessive smoking, eating junk food, high salt intake, lack of physical exercise and alcohol abuse. Aside from the lifestyle factor other physical conditions such as high blood pressure; excessive cholesterol levels in the blood stream; high fat content in the body; diabetes; and kidney ailments also contribute to higher risk of cardiovascular disorders. One can also be at the risk of cardiovascular diseases if they have a hereditary history of cardiovascular diseases in the family. Also, comparatively speaking men are at a higher risk of contracting heart diseases than women; while women who have had an early onset of menopause are at a greater risk than the rest. Advancing age also increases the risk of heart attacks. As noted above there are some causes that can be contained while the rest will have to be confronted. Some of the common preventive methods of mitigating the risks of heart diseases are: 1. Abstaining from Smoking and Declining Tobacco Products: Chemicals in tobacco cause severe damage to the heart and the blood vessels. This results in the narrowing of the arteries eventually leading to a heart attack. Also, smoking introduces carbon monoxide into the blood stream causing increase in blood pressure and heart rate. 2. Indulging in Physical Exercise – Our modern lifestyles are sedentary to the extreme causing morbid obesity, fatigue and overall lethargy. Indulging in regular and appropriate physical activity can be helpful in not just reducing the risk of heart attacks but it also helps keeping a check on weight, while reducing the risk of several other ailments. 3. Eating Healthy at Regular Intervals: It is important to eat right as well as to eat at the right time. Our diet should have as little of junk food as possible while the proportion of fruits, vegetables and whole grains should be adequate. Avoid eating too much saturated fats and trans fats. 4. Regulate Alcohol Consumption: While drinking per se is not completely unhealthy and risk for your heart – excessive and unregulated drinking is! Note that at a moderated level alcohol can be beneficial but excessive drinking causes not just heart problems but also causes several other ailments.
Heart diseases at times seem inevitable to most of us. Given our lifestyle and work habits, it appears only a matter of time before we are required to see a cardiologist. However, in reality most heart diseases are preventable and a healthy lifestyle goes a long way in doing so!