(Ways To Maintain Blood Pressure)
Heart disease is the leading cause of deaths in North America and Europe. But if a little effort is made towards maintaining a healthy heart and a healthy lifestyle, heart disease can be prevented in most cases. There are some very basic preventive measures that can cut down the risk of heart disease substantially, as follows:
Do not smoke
Cigarette smoking and other forms of tobacco consumption is the single most important factor that leads to heart ailments. To ensure a healthy heart, it is imperative to stay away from smoking at all times. And if one is already a smoker, it is advisable to quit smoking completely.
Even “light” smoking with low-tar and low-nicotine cigarettes is dangerous for the heart. There is no acceptable level of smoking, and the best preventive measure is to avoid it completely. Even second hand or indirect smoking exposure is risky in the long run.
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| Ways To Maintain Blood Pressure - Do not smoke |
Tobacco smoke contains nearly five thousand harmful chemical substances, many of which are bad for the heart and blood vessels. Some of these substances have a tendency to deposit inside the arterial walls as they are not soluble with blood. Eventually, they lead to constriction or hardening of the arteries, an increased blood pressure, and malfunctioning of the heart due to extra exertion in pumping blood.
Maintain an active lifestyle
Regular physical exercise helps to maintain a healthy heart. The heart rate increases during physical exercise, providing movement to the heart muscles, and supply of fresh, oxygenated blood to the blood vessels. This flexibility of the heart muscles and tissues helps the heart to pump more blood with less amount of effort.
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| Ways To Maintain Blood Pressure - Maintain an active lifestyle |
Moderate physical exercise for at least half an hour a day for at least 5 days in a week is recommended for maintaining a healthy heart.
Follow a healthy and balanced diet
A diet that is enriched with fibrous foods such as fruit, vegetables and whole grain products is good for the heart. The consumption of fats must be minimum, red meats and dairy products that are high in fat content must be avoided. Bakery products and packaged or processed foods should be avoided as they are high in trans fat content, which increases the bad cholesterol (LDL) levels.
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| Ways To Maintain Blood Pressure - Follow a healthy and balanced diet |
Salt intake must be controlled, and items like nuts, legumes and fish should be added to the diet for improving the levels of good cholesterol (HDL) in the blood.
Maintain a healthy body weight
Excessive weight, especially in the abdominal region, can put extra pressure on the heart. Over-weight also increases the blood pressure, and increase the LDL cholesterol levels, putting heart under more stress while pumping blood.
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| Ways To Maintain Blood Pressure - Maintain a healthy body weight |
Undergo regular medical check-ups
Periodical health check-ups and tests can keep a track of the body’s blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and other vital symptoms that can indicate the correct condition of the heart. This can help in prevention of the disease, if corrective measures are taken in time.
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| Ways To Maintain Blood Pressure - Undergo regular medical check-ups |
