Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in developed countries. According to the latest data published by the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2015 17.7 million people died from some pathology related to cardiovascular health.
The Spanish Heart Foundation (FEC) recalls that in our country cardiovascular diseases are also the leading cause of death, ahead of cancer and respiratory diseases, and account for 31.2% of all deaths. Myocardial infarctions and stroke are the main causes of mortality, and 90% of cases are related to preventable risk factors, such as hypertension, cholesterol, diabetes, obesity or smoking.
How to help prevent a heart attack
Normally, cardiovascular risk is associated with several factors. Here are some tips to help you take care of your heart and prevent cardiovascular disease.
Avoid sedentary lifestyle
The practice of physical exercise of moderate intensity is key to prevent overweight, obesity and abdominal obesity, cardiovascular risk factors. Abdominal obesity is considered the most dangerous, since excess fat accumulates around different organs, such as the liver. The best thing to do to avoid its appearance is to stay below 102 cm in the waist in the case of men, and below 88 cm in the case of women.
In case you do not practice physical exercise on a regular basis, the ideal is to walk between 30 and 60 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week. And remember that the Body Mass Index (BMI) will let you know if you are at your normal weight, or if you are overweight or obese.
Balance diet
The key to avoiding obesity is eating a balanced diet that includes fresh foods, vegetables, fruits, grains, and fish. But it is also important to reduce the consumption of salt, saturated fat and sugar.
A balanced diet will also help us control cholesterol levels and keep them within the recommended limits, less than 200 mg / dl for LDL cholesterol. This way we will be able to prevent plaques from forming on the walls of the arteries and reduce the risk of heart attack.
Control glucose level and blood pressure
Diabetes and hypertension also pose a cardiovascular risk, so it is important to control blood sugar and blood pressure. Good treatment and control of both diseases will help us reduce the risk of heart and cerebrovascular diseases.
No Smoking
Smoking is another of the most important causes that affect the cardiovascular system and contribute to the risk of heart attack. Quitting smoking not only helps reduce the death rate, it also reduces the risk of heart attack and sudden death.
In addition to these factors, our current lifestyle, stress, sleep apnea, pollution or drug use are also factors that are related to cardiovascular risk and that can be prevented.