Heart disease prevention: 10 Measures to Keep Heart Healthy

As we all know that heart diseases or cardiovascular diseases are causing death all over the world and if we take proper precautions or prevention steps then we would be able to save many lives. The good news is that there are many measures you can take to prevent heart disease, which is the leading cause of death globally. You can substantially reduce your risk of heart disease and live a longer, healthier life by making simple lifestyle changes. Prevention has a vital role when it comes to heart disease.

Let us discuss the topic of heart disease prevention in detail.

Secondary prevention of heart disease:

In secondary prevention of heart diseases, the main focus is on the identification of the disease before there are any symptoms so that the effect of that disease on a patient’s life can be reduced. Here we will mainly focus on two heart disease prevention measures:

• Medical interventions – Dyslipidemia which means that there is an abnormal amount of lipids in a person’s blood, is considered to be one of the causes which leads to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease or heart disease. In order to manage the number of lipids in the blood, statin therapy is opted for by doctors. This therapy is used in both primary prevention and secondary prevention. According to statistics and studies, it can be concluded that the usage of statin therapy can lower the mortality rate by 15-20%. Hypertension is another element that causes cardiovascular disease and this can be treated by beta-blockers. Beta-blockers help in lowering the effect of adrenaline which ultimately lowers the heart rate of the patient. 
• Non-medical interventions – These consist of weight reduction, dietary reduction, and light alcohol consumption. Weight reduction is the most common non-medical intervention and this is the reason why people are advised to keep their BMI between 18.5 to 24.9. Restrictions on diet are also important. A patient who is in danger because of their blood lipid, are advised to consume fruits, vegetables, whole grains, poultry, fish, and low-fat dairy. Similarly, people having high blood pressure are advised to consume the same thing but with low levels of sodium in their diet. When it comes to the consumption of alcohol, consuming light to moderate amounts of alcohol will increase the chances of mortality in people who are in danger of developing cardiovascular disease. 

Tertiary prevention of heart disease:

The main object of tertiary prevention is to help the person who is suffering from a long-term disease by improving the quality of life, ability to function, and expectancy of their life. In the discussion process of heart disease prevention, we will focus on two interventions that come under tertiary prevention and these two interventions are percutaneous coronary intervention and coronary bypass grafting. 

 Percutaneous coronary intervention is a process that does not involve any kind of surgery and is used to facilitate the condition of coronary arteries which get narrowed down in patients suffering from heart disease. Stenting is combined with coronary angioplasty, which basically means that a permanent wire-meshed tube that is either drug-eluting also known as DES, or made up of bare metal which is also known as BMS is inserted. Then the stent delivery balloon is inflated and this widens up the blood vessel. 

Patients suffering from heart diseases can have their arteries blocked by plaque and in this scenario, coronary artery bypass grafting can be performed. In this surgical procedure, a healthy vein or artery is taken from the patient’s body and grafted to the blocked artery, this grafted artery or vein goes around the blocked artery. This results in the supply of oxygen-rich blood through the new passage to the heart. 

Secondary prevention of Coronary Heart Disease:

Patients who have survived myocardial infarction or been through revascularization procedure are the perfect candidates to go through secondary prevention of coronary heart diseases because it will improve their quality of life and reduces mortality. These heart disease prevention consists of therapeutic lifestyle changes which include the management of weight, focusing on physical activity, and following a healthy diet. Treating the condition of high blood pressure and dyslipidemia also helps in reducing the mortality rate. Studies have shown that patients who have already been through myocardial infarction can reduce the occurrence of cardiac events if they take aspirin, angiotensin-converting enzymes, and beta-blockers.

Prevention of Congenital heart disease:

The heart condition where a newborn baby has an abnormal heart is known as congenital heart disease. This heart abnormality can have abnormal heart walls, abnormal heart valves, and abnormal blood vessels. In order to prevent this disease, women who are planning to get pregnant should take some heart disease prevention measures like conversing with their doctor regarding medications they are consuming, women who have diabetes should have a controlled sugar level before they become pregnant, if some women have a family history of congenital heart disease then they should ask for genetic screening and lastly, women should stop consuming alcohol and illegal drugs during their pregnancy. 

10 Preventive Measures to Keep Your Heart Healthy: Tips for a Stronger and Happier Life

Here are 10 precautions you can take to maintain a healthy heart:

1. Quit smoking: Smoking is one of the most significant risk factors for heart disease; therefore, you should quit. The most essential thing you can do to protect your heart is to quit smoking.
2. Get regular exercise: Regular exercise can help lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Most days of the week, aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise.
3. Maintain a healthy weight: Being overweight or obese can increase the risk of cardiac disease. Focus on maintaining a healthy weight by consuming a balanced diet and engaging in regular exercise.
4. Eat a healthy diet: A diet that promotes cardiac health should be rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats.
5. Reduce stress: Chronic tension can contribute to cardiovascular disease. To manage tension, try techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, and yoga.
6. Limit alcohol intake: Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol can raise blood pressure and contribute to cardiac disease. Limit your daily alcohol consumption to no more than one drink for women and two drinks for men.
7. Manage chronic conditions: If you have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes, you should work with your healthcare provider to manage and keep these conditions under control.
8. Get enough sleep: Insufficient sleep can contribute to elevated blood pressure and other cardiovascular disease risk factors. Seven to eight hours of sleep per night is optimal.
9. Practice good oral hygiene: Inadequate oral health has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Regularly brush and floss, and see your dentist for exams.
10. Stay connected: Maintaining social connections and having a solid support system can aid in reducing stress and protecting heart health.

By adhering to these ten preventative measures, you can significantly lower your risk of heart disease and live a healthier, more fulfilling existence. Remember that it is never too late to make improvements to your heart health.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about heart disease prevention