Blog

7Nov

Awareness of the risk of heart disease gives you a better chance of making the right lifestyle choices to prevent heart attacks. According to the Center for Health Protection in Hong Kong, heart disease ranks as the 3rd most common cause of death among the population as of Q4 of 2020.

Here are some of the risk factors you can control to prevent heart disease:

– Smoking
– High blood pressure
– High Cholesterol and triglyceride levles
– Pre-diabetic factors
– Weight
– Physical activity (living an active or sedentary life)
– Metabolic syndrome

Taking better care of your health to be in the normal range of the listed factors above can give you better chances of avoiding heart complications as you age.

Of course, there are also things outside of your control such as family history and normal effects of aging.

Heart health is crucial no matter your age.

This puts you indirectly at risk of other general concerns like:

– Ability to make a stable living
– The possibility of a disability
– Overall quality of life

To prevent heart disease, doctors recommend the following:

1. Stop smoking and avoid second-hand smoke. Nicotine constricts blood vessels including those in the skin and coronary blood vessels but also dilates blood vessels in skeletal muscle. This makes it harder for your heart to function.

2. Exercise! This prevention is quite obvious but needs constant reminding, especially with the fact that more people are staying in due to the pandemic. There are lots of ways to stay active even indoors. Obesity is preventable.

3. Aim for 30 minutes of moderate to high-intensity activities per day. Something as simple as brisk walking can help achieve this.

4. Lessen the intake of saturated fats. Eat your veggies! Go for low-fat, whole grain, and unprocessed diets as much as possible. Oats, beans, brown rice, and organic vegetables always work.

5. Get regular check-ups especially with your blood pressure, glucose, and cholesterol levels.

6. Know your family’s health history. Knowing if heart disease runs in the family (and if it can’t be helped) will allow you to make the necessary provisions for your health and finances such as having health insurance that covers critical illness.

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