Go To Smoking Home | Add to Favorites
Prevent Heart Disease
Copyright 2005 Mike Spencer
You should always keep in mind that whatever actions you do today can either help to prevent, delay or minimize the effect of heart disease or worsen it. The key is to control risk factors. Granted that you cannot control every risk factor for heart disease such as family history but you can definitely do something about your behavior. Age and gender also influence your risk of heart disease.
Major Risk Factors of Heart Disease
Cholesterol Levels
Cholesterol is a type of a lipid, a soft, fatlike substance that serves as a source of fuel. Excessive cholesterol can cause buildup of atherosclerotic plaque. Accumulation of plaque in arteries can block blood flow and lead to a heart attack. LDL cholesterol, the so-called "bad" cholesterol, is transported to sites throughout the body, where it's used to repair cell membranes or to make hormones. LDL cholesterol can accumulate in the walls of your arteries. HDL cholesterol, the so-called "good" cholesterol, transports cholesterol to the liver, where it's altered and removed from the body.
Blood Pressure
Normal blood pressure level is defined as less than 130 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) for systolic blood pressure and less than 85 mm Hg for diastolic blood pressure. The higher the blood pressure, the more likely it is to take a toll on the heart and on the brain. Blood pressure should be checked whether or not your levels are high. For normal, check once every two years. For high-normal, check once a year. If extremely high, you should get immediate care. Then get multiple measurements to know if a high level is sustained over time.
Diabetes
Another risk factor for heart disease is diabetes, a chronic disease of insulin deficiency or resistance. Type 2 diabetes, the most common type, is associated with obesity and may be prevented by maintaining ideal body weight through exercise and balanced nutrition.
Tips For Controlling Risk of Heart Disease
Stop Smoking
The effect of smoking on your lungs can cause almost every other medical condition.
Get Active
Routine physical activity is highly recommended and helpful in controlling obesity. Try to perform 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day. Fast walking is one of the best way to prevent heart disease. If you can lose even a small amount of weight, five pounds for example, it may have a positive effect on lipid levels and blood pressure preventing heart disease.
Limit Alcohol Consumption
Limit daily alcohol intake to three ounces or fewer to prevent heart disease. People who drink large amounts of alcohol (six to eight ounces a day) tend to have higher blood pressure.
Watch What You Eat
Eat five helpings of fruits and vegetables daily to prevent heart disease.
Maintain adequate dietary potassium, calcium and magnesium intake.
Reduce saturated fats and cholesterol to stay away from heart disease.
About the author:
Mike Spencer has been helping people protect their health for many years. To find out how you can help protect your heart and prevent heart disease visit mikes site at:
http://www.heart-healthy-diet.com
Source: Article Directory
The Power Of Nicotine Addiction
If you've ever tried to quit smoking, then you've come up against the awesome power of nicotine addiction. If you would like to quit, read on to learn how nicotine addiction takes hold, and how you can defeat it.Altered Brain Chemistry Nicotine, the addictive substance in tobacco, is absorbed into...
To Lose Weight, Feed Your Brains
As you may know, as soon as you put yourself on a diet, you only have one thought left: to eat. Sooner or later, it will overcome you...except if you hit first.When was the last time you focused so much on a task that you f...
Should We Treat Cancer Or Prevent Cancer?
Cancer is one of the biggest killers around the world. In America alone, 25% of all deaths are related to cancer.Many people think of cancer as a single problem but in fact, it is a number of problems spread throughout the body. Generally speaking, if cancer is caught in the early stages of developme...
|
 |
|
|
Smoking - Green Tea And Cholesterol Facts
A green and lush oasis in the middle of a scorching dessert. A cool breeze on a hot summer night. A bright light in the end of a cold and dark tunnel. Green tea and cholesterol.For the millions and millions of people suffering from high cholesterol green tea may be that light. You can browse and search the Internet for topics on green tea and cholesterol and would come up with hundred of hits.Cholesterol, triglycerides, the protein apoB in LDLs, are words dreaded by humans of the modern age. This new century is expected to become the century of medical miracles, the green tea, lowly as it may sound looks very promising as several researches have... |  |
| Smoking - The Reasons Behind Smoking
So what are . Both you and me know that it is not good for our health? There are very many reasons to it but in this article we will look over the biggest reason in today’s world and that is to release STRESS. So what is stress, can we get rid of it through smoking, if not then how can we get rid of it, lets look at the reason behind smoking.Stress – What is it?Stress is the result of feeling helpless, incapable to perform, not able to meet the deadlines and pressurized. Stress could be due to any reason, be it down to pressure at the office, home or even a bad financial situation, or it could be due to anything your not happy with.Can smoking get rid of it?Can we get rid of stress through smoking? Will smok... | |
| Smoking - Sperm Health
What are the similarities between tight underwear, alcohol and hot tubs?Answer: they all have a negative effective on sperm counts and sperm potency. Drinking, Smoking, lack of exercise, taking drugs, stress, poor nutrition, and of course tight under wears have been proved to decline the ... | |
| Smoking - Snoring: A Common Sleep Disorder
Sleep consumes as much as one-third or more of the average human’s life. Even if people hope for restful sleep, many ... | |
| Smoking - Should We Treat Cancer Or Prevent Cancer?
Cancer is one of the biggest killers around the world. In America alone, 25% of all deaths are related to cancer.Many people think of cancer as a single problem but in fact, it is a number of problems spread throughout the body. Generally speaking, if cancer is caught in the early stages of developme... | |
| Smoking - Alert: Beware Of Dangerous Free Radicals
Get the Antioxidant Power Punch of Perfor-MaxAlert: beware of dangerous free radicalsThink of your body as an energy-using, cell-building factory. Like all factories, your body generates wastes as it operates. These wastes are dangerous molecules known as "free radicals". There's no way of avoiding free radicals, not only are they produced by your body, they're also part of the environment. Free radicals are produced by smok... | |
| Smoking - How To Know If You Need Vitamin Supplements
Taking vitamin and mineral supplements is perhaps one of the most controversial issues regarding healthy living. The lack of vitamins in your diet can be unhealthy, but too many vitamins can also put your health in danger. So, how do you know if taking vitamin and mineral supplements is necessary for you? Ask yourself the following questions in order to determine if you may need vitamin supplementation for a healthier lifestyle:1. Am I Stressed? If you are constantly stressed-out due to work, relationships, family or any other situation, your adrenal glands may be working overtime. This can potentially cause fatigue and headaches. Treatment: Vitamin B Complex, Vitamin E and Vitamin C supplements... | |
|
|
