Las cardiovascular diseases they are currently the first cause of death in the world; however, in most cases they are strongly associated with lifestyle factors entirely modifiable. In other words, most cases might be prevented.
Here are some tips from the experts at Harvard University to prevent one of the cardiovascular accidents more serious, stroke or cerebral infarction.
lower your blood pressure
The hypertension It’s one of the most important risk factorsdoubling or even quadrupling a person’s chances of having a stroke.
The goal is achieve a blood pressure below 120/80. However, there may be reasons why the doctor may set other goals, depending on your clinical characteristics.
In any case, you can reduce your blood pressure by reducing salt in your diet (ideally, you should get below half a teaspoon of tea daily), avoiding foods high in cholesterol, quitting smoking, practicing physical exercise on a regular basis and generally maintaining a healthy diet. In certain instances, administration of antihypertensive medications may be necessary.
Lose weight
The obesity and overweight, as well as the associated complications, greatly increase the risk of suffering a stroke. Best of all, although the ideal is to be below the threshold of clinical overweight, any weight loss decreases the risk of cardiovascular complications.
The two main measures that can help us reduce body weight are regular physical activity and the maintenance of a healthy diet, which does not provide us with a caloric surplus taking into account our level of physical activity.
do exercise
Even if your blood pressure and body weight are within the less dangerous range, exercise itself reduces the risk cardiovascular. Ideally, moderate exercise is recommended at least five days each week.
For example, an easy to do moderate exercise is to take a walk of a few kilometers, reaching the level where it takes some effort to breathe but normal speech is still possible. It is also advisable to take the stairs instead of the elevator, or to do small sessions of 10 or 15 minutes each day.
If you drink, do so in moderation
Alcohol is very harmful to various aspects of health; for example, drinking any amount of alcohol increases your chances of getting cancer. Therefore, it is best not to drink no alcohol.
However, many people make the decision to drink. As far as cardiovascular risk is concerned, which is also increased by alcohol consumption, the key is in the moderation. Avoid more than one drink a day, and if possible choose red wine, because despite its alcohol content it contains polyphenols, which have a cardioprotective effect (polyphenols are also present in red fruits, tomatoes or must, which are always will be more recommendable than an alcoholic drink).
Treat atrial fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation is a form of irregular heartbeat that causes the formation of clots in the heart. Those clots can then travel to the brain, causing a stroke. Atrial fibrillation is a serious problem: it multiplies by no less than five the chances of suffering a stroke.
If you have symptoms like heart palpitations or shortness of breath, go to a professional to do the appropriate tests. If you have atrial fibrillation, you might be prescribed blood-thinning medications.
treat your diabetes
Having high blood glucose damages your blood vessels over time, making it more likely that blood clots will form inside them. For this reason, conditions such as type II diabetes (or adult-onset diabetes) are an important cardiovascular risk factor.
The amount of glucose in the blood can be controlled using strategies such as diet, exercise, or medication.
Stop smoking
Smoking increases ischemic risk in several different ways. Increases the viscosity of the blood, and facilitates the plaque buildup arterial. Along with a healthy diet and regular exercise, quitting smoking is one of the most beneficial lifestyle changes for health and cardiovascular risk.
Give up smoking it can be very difficult. The best way to do this is to consult with your health care provider, who may prescribe aids such as nicotine patches or lozenges, therapy, or other medications.