5 medication-free strategies to help prevent heart disease

Heart disease may be a leading cause of death, but that doesn't mean you have to accept it as your fate. Although you lack the power to change some risk factors — such as family history, sex or age — there are some key heart disease prevention steps you can take.

You can avoid heart problems in the future by adopting a healthy lifestyle today. Here are five heart disease prevention tips to get you started.

1. Don't smoke or use tobacco

Smoking or using tobacco is one of the most significant risk factors for developing heart disease. Chemicals in tobacco can damage your heart and blood vessels, leading to narrowing of the arteries (atherosclerosis). Atherosclerosis can ultimately lead to a heart attack. When it comes to heart disease prevention, no amount of smoking is safe. Smokeless tobacco and low-tar and low-nicotine cigarettes also are risky, as is exposure to secondhand smoke.

In addition, the nicotine in cigarette smoke makes your heart work harder by narrowing your blood vessels and increasing your heart rate and blood pressure. Carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke replaces some of the oxygen in your blood. This increases your blood pressure by forcing your heart to work harder to supply enough oxygen. Even so-called "social smoking" — smoking only while at a bar or restaurant with friends — is dangerous and increases the risk of heart disease.

Women who smoke and take birth control pills are at greater risk of having a heart attack or stroke than are those who don't do either. This risk increases with age, especially in women older than 35.

The good news, though, is that when you quit smoking, your risk of heart disease drops dramatically within just one year. And no matter how long or how much you smoked, you'll start reaping rewards as soon as you quit.

2. Exercise for 30 minutes on most days of the week

Getting some regular, daily exercise can reduce your risk of fatal heart disease. And when you combine physical activity with other lifestyle measures, such as maintaining a healthy weight, the payoff is even greater.

Physical activity helps you control your weight and can reduce your chances of developing other conditions that may put a strain on your heart, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. It also reduces stress, which may be a factor in heart disease.

Try getting at least 30 to 60 minutes of moderately intense physical activity most days of the week. However, even shorter amounts of exercise offer heart benefits, so if you can't meet those guidelines, don't give up. You can even break up your workout time into 10-minute sessions.

And remember that activities such as gardening, housekeeping, taking the stairs and walking the dog all count toward your total. You don't have to exercise strenuously to achieve benefits, but you can see bigger benefits by increasing the intensity, duration and frequency of your workouts. 

3. Eat a heart-healthy diet

Eating a special diet called the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan can help protect your heart. Following the DASH diet means eating foods that are low in fat, cholesterol and salt. The diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products, which can help protect your heart. Beans, other low-fat sources of protein and certain types of fish also can reduce your risk of heart disease.

Limiting certain fats you eat also is important. Of the types of fat — saturated, polyunsaturated, monounsaturated and trans fat — saturated fat and trans fat increase the risk of coronary artery disease by raising blood cholesterol levels.

Major sources of saturated fat include:

• Red meat
• Dairy products
• Coconut and palm oils

Sources of trans fat include:

• Deep-fried fast foods
• Bakery products
• Packaged snack foods
• Margarines
• Crackers

Look at the label for the term "partially hydrogenated" to avoid trans fat.

Heart-healthy eating isn't all about cutting back, though. Most people need to add more fruits and vegetables to their diet — with a goal of five to 10 servings a day. Eating that many fruits and vegetables can not only help prevent heart disease, but also may help prevent cancer.

Omega-3 fatty acids, a type of polyunsaturated fat, may decrease your risk of heart attack, protect against irregular heartbeats and lower blood pressure. Some fish, such as salmon and mackerel, are a good natural source of omega-3s. Omega-3s are present in smaller amounts in flaxseed oil, walnut oil, soybean oil and canola oil, and they can also be found in supplements.

Following a heart-healthy diet also means drinking alcohol only in moderation — no more than two drinks a day for men, and one a day for women. At that moderate level, alcohol can have a protective effect on your heart. More than that becomes a health hazard.

4. Maintain a healthy weight

As you put on weight in adulthood, your weight gain is mostly fat rather than muscle. This excess weight can lead to conditions that increase your chances of heart disease — high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.

One way to see if your weight is healthy is to calculate your body mass index (BMI), which considers your height and weight in determining whether you have a healthy or unhealthy percentage of body fat. BMI numbers 25 and higher are associated with higher blood fats, higher blood pressure, and an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.

The BMI is a good, but imperfect guide. Muscle weighs more than fat, for instance, and women and men who are very muscular and physically fit can have high BMIs without added health risks. Because of that, waist circumference also is a useful tool to measure how much abdominal fat you have:

• Men are considered overweight if their waist measurement is greater than 40 inches (101.6 centimeters, or cm)
• Women are overweight if their waist measurement is greater than 35 inches (88.9 cm)

Even a small weight loss can be beneficial. Reducing your weight by just 10 percent can decrease your blood pressure, lower your blood cholesterol level and reduce your risk of diabetes.

5. Get regular health screenings

High blood pressure and high cholesterol can damage your heart and blood vessels. But without testing for them, you probably won't know whether you have these conditions. Regular screening can tell you what your numbers are and whether you need to take action.

• Blood pressure. Regular blood pressure screenings start in childhood. Adults should have their blood pressure checked at least every two years. You may need more-frequent checks if your numbers aren't ideal or if you have other risk factors for heart disease. Optimal blood pressure is less than 120/80 millimeters of mercury.
• Cholesterol levels. Adults should have their cholesterol measured at least once every five years starting at age 20. You may need more frequent testing if your numbers aren't optimal or if you have other risk factors for heart disease. Some children may need their blood cholesterol tested if they have a strong family history of heart disease.
• Diabetes screening. Since diabetes is a risk factor for developing heart disease, you may want to consider being screened for diabetes. Talk to your doctor about when you should have a fasting blood sugar test to check for diabetes. Depending on your risk factors, such as being overweight or a family history of diabetes, your doctor may recommend first testing you for diabetes sometime between ages 30 and 45, and then retesting every three to five years.

10 Ways To Prevent a Heart Attack

Heart disease is the number one killer of men and women in the United States. For people over 65 years of age, the risk is even greater: eight out of ten people who die of heart disease are 65 or older. Although these statistics sound dire, take heart: With these strategies, you can help reduce the risk.

1. Know the early warning signs and seek treatment right away.

Some typical symptoms of a heart attack include:
Chest pain (angina)
Shortness of breath
Palpitations (skipped beats or a racing or pounding heart)
Leg swelling
Bluish skin color (cyanosis)
A prolonged, unexplained cough
Coughing up blood
Persistent fatigue or feeling unwell
Passing out

But sometimes the symptoms aren’t so obvious. The pain of a heart attack may feel like really bad heartburn or even the flu. And the symptoms of a second heart attack may not be the same as those for the first. If you or your parent has already had a heart attack, don’t hesitate to seek emergency medical treatment at the first sign of possible trouble.

2. Talk to the doctor about medications that might increase risk.
Hormone replacement therapy, rosiglitazone (for diabetes), and COX-2 inhibitors (for controlling arthritis pain) are all examples of medications that may increase the risk of heart attack. Review medications with the doctor and ask if there are less risky alternatives.

3. Control blood pressure.
High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart attack. If there has been a diagnoses of prehypertension (120/80 mm Hg to 139/89 mm Hg) or hypertension (140/90 mm Hg or higher), blood pressure should be treated. The doctor will prescribe the appropriate medications, but blood pressure needs regular monitoring. Although it can be a bit tricky to use, an inexpensive manual cuff (starting at about $12 at your local drugstore) is a great way to monitor blood pressure at home. But if you can’t get the hang of it, you may want to consider investing in a blood pressure machine. The machine is a bit more expensive (between $70 and $150); it’s also available at your local drugstore.

4. Keep “bad” cholesterol levels low.
Another major risk factors for heart attack is a high bloodstream level of LDL, or “bad” cholesterol. Ideally, total cholesterol should be no more than 200 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter), and no more than five times the level of HDL or “good” cholesterol; LDL levels should be below 70 mg/dL. Make sure cholesterol levels are checked regularly and treated if necessary. Following a low-fat diet and exercising regularly may help, but it might not be enough. If cholesterol levels don’t respond to lifestyle changes, the doctor may prescribe medication.

5. Make sure diabetes is under control.
Three out of four people with diabetes will die of some type of heart or blood vessel disease. But by keeping blood sugar under control and taking any recommended medications, a diabetic can reduce his risk.

6. Follow a heart-healthy diet.
The American Heart Association offers specific dietary guidelines for reducing the risk of heart attack. The best bet is a diet rich in whole grains, vegetables, fruits, fish, poultry, lean meats, and low-fat or fat-free dairy products.You should limit intake of fat (total fat between 25 and 35 percent of daily calories, saturated fat less than 7 percent, and trans fat less than 1 percent), cholesterol (less than 200 milligrams per day if LDL levels are high, less than 300 milligrams per day if they aren’t), and sodium (less than 1,500 milligrams per day for high blood pressure, less than 2,300 milligrams per day otherwise). Women should consume no more than one alcoholic beverage per day, men no more than two. And you should eat 25 to 30 grams of dietary fiber every day.

7. Regular exercise.
Exercise is essential for general cardiovascular health and is key to preventing a heart attack. But how much exercise is enough? The Centers for Disease Control and the American Heart Association recommend accumulating at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity at least five days a week on most days. This doesn’t mean you need to do half an hour of aerobics five days a week; instead, you can use short bursts of activity throughout the day. Just parking farther away from the store and walking the extra distance, or taking the stairs instead of the elevator, can quickly add up. But before you begin any exercise program, be sure to talk to the doctor about any restrictions.

8. Achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
Being overweight or obese is a major risk factor for heart disease. The best way to determine whether you are overweight or obese is to calculate your body mass index, or BMI. You can calculate their BMI at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website. People with a BMI of 25.0 to 29.9 are considered overweight; people with a BMI of 30.0 or greater are considered obese. If you meet either of these criteria, talk to the doctor about setting safe weight-loss goals. The best way to lose weight is by limiting calories and increasing activity, but if that approach is unsuccessful, counseling or even medical intervention may be necessary.

9. Stop smoking.
Smoking is one of the biggest risk factors for heart attack. If you smoke, quitting can reduce the risk of heart attack by 50 percent or more. But recognize that stopping smoking isn’t easy. If your parents or loved ones are smoking, here are a few ways to help them stop:

• Ask your parents what they think would make it easier for them. They may have suggestions you haven’t thought of.
• Encourage them to talk about their feelings and what they’re going through. Smoking may be a comforting lifelong habit; let them mourn a little.
• You may be tempted to nag or yell if they slip up, but it’s more effective to remind them that you love them no matter what. Be positive and encouraging — and vent your frustration to a friend instead.
• Help them avoid situations that trigger the desire for a smoke. If they’re used to enjoying a cigarette after meals, try going for a short walk outside instead.
• Be understanding as they go through withdrawal symptoms. Try not to take it personally if they’re especially irritable, short-tempered, and tired.
• If your parents find it too difficult to quit on their own, talk to their doctor. Nicotine replacement therapy, support groups, and counseling may all be helpful.

10. Manage stress and depression.
Emotional and psychological state can have a very real effect on physical health. An important aspect of maintaining good cardiovascular health and avoiding heart attack is minimizing stress, anger, and depression. For an elder, if he lives alone, he may feel disconnected and alone. For parents, even if they still have each other, sitting around the house can lead to boredom and unhappiness. Help your parents get out, make new friends, or simply engage in stimulating activities. Your local church or community center is an excellent place to connect with other seniors.

Try these stress-busting strategies:
• Cut back on caffeinated beverages and alcohol.
• Try meditation or yoga.
• Play relaxing music.
• Go for a walk outdoors.
• For parents, if you’ve tried everything and still feel concerned about their mood, talk to his doctor. Depression is a serious but treatable illness.

Anatomy of the heart

Healthy Heart

• Vitamins are very important to keep our heart healthy. We need to eat right foods, we also need to supplement the food we eat with the necessary vitamins that our body needs to stay in shape keeping our heart working healthy. Consuming the right nutrients, you can do your heart any favor and avoid having problems later on in life.
• Vitamin E is the first vitamin that comes to mind for most people, a vitamin essential to improve the overall health of your heart. It can also stop the cholesterol in the body from harming the arteries surrounding the heart. When cholesterol oxidizes, it sticks to the sides of the arteries leading to blockages causing heart attacks or other serious problems with the heart.
• You can use vitamin C to boost the effects of vitamin E, known as an antioxidant, which prevents the damaging effects that cholesterol does and preventing cholesterol from damaging the body. It also helps vitamin E with its functions which is protecting your arteries and your heart.
• Taking vitamin C and E as a combination is a way to a healthier heart, the easiest way that you can be sure you arent damaging your heart, especially if you have had a heart attack. Having a history of heart problems in your family, these vitamins are essential to your diet. If you are concerned about the health of your heart, these vitamins will give you the peace of mind and a healthy heart.