Heart disease has been known as the major cause of increasing deaths across the globe. The primary reason for this is a lack of commitment to a heart-healthy lifestyle. Almost half of all deaths are the result of unhealthy lifestyle choices such as insufficient exercise, poor diet, and smoking. These risk factors increase the risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack, and stroke.
One of the most common signs of heart attack is chest pain, which can scare and alarm a large population. Certain cases of deadly conditions like heart attack have increased over the years. The statistics of 2020 have revealed that more than 47 lakh individuals have lost their lives due to stroke and heart attack with any unexplained conditions. All these adverse events of heart attack have been known to occur due to poor lifestyle and unhealthy dietary choices. Visit Manipal Hospitals for Heart Attack Treatment in Kolkata.
Several guidelines have been published considering the changes in the lifestyle and behaviour of individuals to reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, and other related risks of cardiovascular disease. The guidelines include appropriate diet and nutrition, good exercise and physical activity, maintaining body weight, and avoiding tobacco consumption. Although it may be difficult to evaluate the exact reason for heart attack occurrence, the adoption of some of the lifestyle practices may be effective in lowering the risk of heart attacks. Some of such lifestyle practices are discussed below:
Lifestyle practices to avoid a Heart attack
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Eating a healthy and nutritious diet
Diet plays a significant role in maintaining the optimal health of the heart. A diet with a high content of saturated fat, processed carbohydrates, sodium content, added sugars, and trans-fats increases the risk of heart attack by making the arteries hard, causing atherosclerosis. Hence, adhering to the eating plans that involve the limitation of fried and processed foods, sweetened and carbonated beverages, alcohol, etc. Intake of fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, plant-based proteins and healthy fats such as olive oil for improving a healthy heart.
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Becoming physically active
Performing regular physical activities plays a significant role by providing various benefits such as weight loss, lowering cholesterol levels, improving blood flow, maintaining blood pressure, and reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes. Low-impact exercises such as walking, cycling, and swimming, as well as slowing down with daily activities, are recommended instead of vigorous exercises. Adults are recommended to perform 30 minutes of moderate aerobic physical activity for at least five days every week.
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Quit smoking
Smoking is known to be one of the major risk factors for increasing heart attack cases. It causes plaque formation, which is a fatty material accumulating in the arteries, which in turn causes atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Hence, quitting smoking lowers the risk of heart attack. An immediate effect of quitting smoking is observed by improving blood circulation, lowering blood pressure, and enhancing the oxygen supply to the body. Get a consultation from our Cardiologist in Kolkata regarding tips to quit smoking.
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Lowering the stress level
All individuals experience stress occasionally as chronic stress increases the risk of blood pressure and heart disease. In fact, heart attacks occur from various experiences of intense stress. Individuals, in most cases, adopt unhealthy practices like overeating, excessive consumption of alcohol, and smoking to cope with stress. Stress management shows efficacy in improving heart health. Activities such as listening to soothing music, meditation, yoga, slow breathing and mindfulness are considered relaxation techniques that are practiced for reducing stress levels.
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Good sleeping schedule
Sleep and heart health are associated with each other. Lack of sleep may result in high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes, increasing the risk of heart disease. An individual should sleep for at least 7-9 hours every night for good heart health.
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Managing pre-existing health conditions
The occurrence of chronic medical conditions involving high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, and diabetes increases the risk of heart disease. Most often, these conditions do not cause any symptoms. Hence, undergoing regular check-ups is recommended. Regular monitoring of an individual’s health with timely diagnosis involves treatment options while providing appropriate medications and recommendations for lifestyle changes.
Dr. Prof. Partha Sarathi Banerjee
Consultant - Cardiology
Manipal Hospitals, Salt Lake, Kolkata
