5 Tips To Take Care Of Your Heart
If you had a mother with heart disease [when she was younger than] 65 years old, or a father with heart disease [at younger than] 55 years old, early diagnosis and prevention are key.
The earlier you know, the more chance you have to change your outcome and be in control of your potential destiny.
5 Tips to take care of your heart
1. Consider your pregnancy history
If you had high blood pressure or elevated sugars during pregnancy, you are at higher risk of heart disease.
2. Master the art of well-being
Positive emotions such as optimism can lower your risk of heart disease, and laughter is helpful too.
It boosts the immune system, decreases stress, and lowers blood pressure.
3. Manage stress
Stress takes a toll on the heart, increasing hormones throughout the body [that are] associated with the ‘flight-or-fight syndrome,’ leading to an increase in heart rate and blood pressure.
It can also increase the stress hormones, such as cortisol, which causes inflammation, all leading to heart disease. We all have stress in our lives, and managing it is a large part of being heart-healthy.
4. Be proactive about screening tests
If you have multiple risk factors for heart disease or strong family history, get screened … to determine your real risk of heart disease.
If [your test results] are abnormal, then your risk goes up and aggressive prevention should start immediately, whether it is lifestyle changes or medication. Having the information empowers you to make a difference in the rest of your life’s heart health. It is worth getting the information.
5. Keep your arteries healthy
Foods like dark chocolate, berries, tea, and red wine help dilate the arteries, decrease blood pressure, lower cholesterol, and prevent clotting.
If there is stiffness in the lining of the arteries, called the endothelium, then you are at risk to develop heart disease. An EndoPAT test, which is a noninvasive test assessing the function of the endothelium, can alert you if you are a candidate for building up plaque in the arteries of the heart, which can lead to a heart attack.
