According
to the CDC, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States,
with one in every three fatalities preventable. "Heart disease is 90%
treatable — everyone, wherever in the world, can avoid heart disease,
especially by eating low-salt, low-cholesterol meals, exercising frequently,
and not smoking," said Leslie Cho, M.D. "Thanks to amazing
breakthroughs in medicine, we can still prevent and cure heart disease even if
a person has a family history." Here are five things that can help you
reduce your risk of heart disease, including one recent study that may surprise
you.
1.
Prevention Must Begin in Childhood
"We
don't want to start kids on cholesterol medication at that age," Dr. Cho
explains, "but we want to get them thinking about the value of a good diet
and regular exercise." "We think of heart disease as an issue that
affects the elderly, but prevention should begin in childhood."
2. You
Shouldn't Smoke
According
to specialists, smoking is a primary cause of heart disease, accounting for 20%
of fatalities from coronary heart disease. "Given the evidence on tobacco
and cardiovascular health, and the health benefits of quitting smoking, failing
to provide cessation services to heart disease patients could be considered
clinical malpractice or negligence," says Dr. Eduardo Bianco, Chair of the
World Heart Federation Tobacco Expert Group. "Cardiology associations
should provide smoking cessation training to its members and advocate and
possibly lead tobacco control advocacy initiatives."
3. Be
Wary of Alcohol Consumption
"Heavy
drinking is linked to various detrimental health implications, including heart
disorders," according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. "Drinking too much
alcohol can cause high blood pressure, heart failure, and stroke. Cardiomyopathy,
a condition affecting the heart muscle, can be exacerbated by excessive
drinking. Furthermore, alcohol can contribute to obesity and a slew of other
health issues that come with it. Alcohol is a calorie-dense beverage that can
lead to weight gain, which can be hazardous in the long run."
4.
Sitting Is the New Smoking
Multiple
studies demonstrate that sitting for long periods increases your risk of heart
disease. "The proper dose of exercise at the right time in life is the key
to a healthier heart in middle age," says Benjamin D. Levine, M.D.,
founder and head of the Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine. We
discovered the best dose of the correct form of exercise, four to five times
per week, and the "sweet spot" in time, which is late middle age when
the cardiac risk associated with a lifetime of sedentary behavior can be
reduced. For most of the study participants, this resulted in a reversal of
decades of sedentary behavior on the heart, "he stated
5.
Less than an Hour of Television Reduces Heart Disease Risk
Previous research has connected watching TV to heart disease. A new study suggests that limiting TV viewing to less than an hour per day could help avoid more than one out of every ten occurrences of coronary heart disease. Dr. Youngwon Kim, assistant professor at the University of Hong Kong and visiting researcher at the MRC Epidemiology Unit, says, "Our study gives new insights into the possible influence that reducing TV viewing can have in preventing coronary heart disease." "Individuals who watched less than an hour of television every day were less likely to get the disease, regardless of their genetic risk. Limiting the amount of time spent sitting in front of the television could be a simple and effective lifestyle change that could help those with a high genetic risk of coronary heart disease control their risk."