Heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases, such as high blood pressure and atherosclerosis, can be avoided by adopting some simple habits, such as exercising regularly, eating a balanced diet and avoiding smoking.
Cardiovascular diseases are one of the main causes of death in the world and, although some risk factors such as age, family history or gender cannot be changed, there are some habits that are capable of reducing the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. .
Therefore, it is important to have healthy habits, in addition to undergoing medical monitoring, with routine exams to assess cholesterol, triglycerides and blood glucose levels, especially in people who have high blood pressure or diabetes. See the main routine exams and when to do them.
Some essential habits to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases are:
1. Do not smoke and avoid smoky places
Smoking is one of the most important risk factors for developing cardiovascular disease, as some chemicals in tobacco, such as nicotine, can damage the heart and blood vessels, leading to narrowing of the arteries, called atherosclerosis, or the formation of blood clots, which can lead to a heart attack or stroke.
Additionally, the carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke replaces some of the oxygen in the blood, increasing blood pressure and heart rate, forcing the heart to work harder to provide enough oxygen.
Some studies (1,2) show that 1 day after quitting smoking, heart rate decreases, blood pressure becomes more stable and carbon monoxide levels in the blood begin to decrease, making oxygen reach the heart and other parts of the body more easily. After 1 year, the risk of a heart attack reduces by around 50% and, after 5 years, the risk of a heart attack for an ex-smoker is the same as that of a person who has never smoked. See some strategies for quitting smoking.
2. Exercise regularly
Regular physical exercise for 30 to 60 minutes daily, such as swimming or walking, helps control weight, reduce blood pressure and improve blood circulation, which can reduce the risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes.
Furthermore, physical activity improves good cholesterol levels and reduces bad cholesterol and triglycerides, also reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases, such as atherosclerosis, which can cause heart attack or stroke.
Activities such as gardening, cleaning, going up and down stairs, for example, also help reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, especially when you are limited in doing some physical exercise. Check out other health benefits of physical activity.
3. Drink alcohol in moderation
Consuming alcohol beyond what is recommended and, especially in the long term, can harm the heart, causing high blood pressure, high triglycerides, heart failure, stroke or heart attack.
Some studies (3,4) show that drinking red wine daily can help prevent cardiovascular diseases, as the resveratrol present in purple grapes has potent antioxidant action, which helps prevent damage caused by free radicals in the heart and blood vessels.
In this way, the American Heart Association (5) recommends that the safe intake of red wine per day is up to 148 mL, considering that the wine contains up to 12% alcohol.
However, more studies are still needed to evaluate the health benefits of purple grape components and the harm that alcohol consumption can bring, even when taken in small quantities.
Furthermore, because it contains alcohol, red wine is not recommended for some people, such as those under 18 and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
4. Maintain ideal weight
Excess weight is associated with high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes, increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as stroke or heart attack. Therefore, even a small weight loss can help lower blood pressure, lower blood cholesterol levels or reduce the risk of diabetes.
To check whether you are at your ideal weight, you must calculate your body mass index (BMI), which should be between 18.5 and 24.9 kg/m2. To calculate your BMI, enter your data into the calculator below:
In addition to BMI, it is also important to evaluate abdominal circumference, which is useful for measuring the amount of abdominal fat, with men’s abdominal circumference being less than 94 cm and women’s waist circumference being less than 80 cm.
5. Control blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes
High blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes can damage the heart and blood vessels, increasing the risk of developing a heart attack, stroke or heart failure, for example.
Therefore, it is important to maintain normal blood pressure, that is, up to 139 x 89 mmHg, total cholesterol below 200 mg/dl and blood glucose, that is, fasting blood sugar below 99 mg/dL.
Individuals who are already hypertensive, with high cholesterol or diabetes need more rigorous controls of Blood Pressure (around 110
6. Sleep well and manage stress
People who don’t get enough sleep have a greater risk of developing obesity, high blood pressure, heart attack, diabetes or depression. Therefore, adults should get around seven to eight hours of sleep per night, going to bed and waking up at the same time every day.
Stress can cause the heart to beat faster, increasing the number of heartbeats per minute and the arteries and veins to become harder, reducing blood flow. Therefore, it is important to avoid being stressed, and you can resort to massages, relaxation techniques or exercises, such as yoga.
7. Have a healthy diet
To prevent the onset of cardiovascular diseases, it is important to avoid or reduce the consumption of foods with saturated fat or trans fat, which are the two types of fat that are harmful to health and increase the risk of heart attack, stroke or atherosclerosis, for example.
In this way, it is important avoid or reduce the consumption of:
- Red meats, fatty cheeses;
- Sauces, sausages;
- Fried foods, sweets;
- Soft drinks, seasonings, margarine.
On the other hand, one must increase consumption of:
- Fruits, vegetables;
- Soy, flaxseed, avocado;
- Fish, such as salmon or mackerel;
- Nuts, olives, olive oil.
