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To control
heart disease or not to control heart disease, that is the question.
Who has the control? YOU DO of course! There are factors that you
can’t control when it comes to developing heart disease but you can
lower your risk when it comes to the factors you can control starting
with lifestyle changes.
Bad Cholesterol: Think of cholesterol as fat clogging up your arteries, restricting the blood that gets to your body and heart.
High Blood pressure: This is the pressure of your blood in going through your arteries; if it is high your arteries can become damaged in turn straining your heart.
Smoking: Chemicals in cigarettes can harm your heart.
Diabetes: High glucose levels can damage the heart.
Obesity: The more weight you have the harder it is for the heart to work. The strain in the heart can lead to a heart attack.
Lack of exercise: Your heart is a muscle that never takes a break. Like every muscle it needs a work out to stay in proper function.
Alcohol consumption: Alcohol raises blood pressure and can damage heart muscle.
Sleep apnea: This lowers blood oxygen levels thus making the heart work harder and increasing blood pressure.
Know what you can’t control when it comes to your heart. There are factors you can ‘t change about health but if you lose control with the things listed above and pair them up with the factors you can’t control, your risk for heart disease is even higher. Avoiding the things you can control will lower your risks while dealing with the uncontrollable factors.
Age: Did you know that estrogen prevents plaque build up in the arteries? But once you start to go through menopause your ovaries stop making estrogen thus leaving the door wide open for congested arteries.
Family History: If you have parents of siblings that develop heart disease you are at higher risk for developing heart disease as well.
Race and Ethnicity: The reason is unknown but some racial groups are at higher risk for heart disease, such as African American or Hispanic.
There are other factors that contribute that are variable when it comes to controlling them. Depending on life situations and economic status these factors can vary.
Depression, Stress, and Anxiety: Did you know that these things could trigger plaque build up in your arteries. More importantly these emotional states can trigger bad habits that can lead to heart problems such as smoking, drinking, or over eating.
Not enough sleep: Getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night makes more sense now because sleeping less than 5 hours a night can increase your blood pressure in fact double the risk of it increasing.
Lower income: Those with lower income are at higher risks for heart disease for several reasons. The physical activity in low-income families is typically lower as well as the ability to buy heart healthy foods.
Learn more about what you can control at www.womenshealth.gov
Bad Cholesterol: Think of cholesterol as fat clogging up your arteries, restricting the blood that gets to your body and heart.
High Blood pressure: This is the pressure of your blood in going through your arteries; if it is high your arteries can become damaged in turn straining your heart.
Smoking: Chemicals in cigarettes can harm your heart.
Diabetes: High glucose levels can damage the heart.
Obesity: The more weight you have the harder it is for the heart to work. The strain in the heart can lead to a heart attack.
Lack of exercise: Your heart is a muscle that never takes a break. Like every muscle it needs a work out to stay in proper function.
Alcohol consumption: Alcohol raises blood pressure and can damage heart muscle.
Sleep apnea: This lowers blood oxygen levels thus making the heart work harder and increasing blood pressure.
Know what you can’t control when it comes to your heart. There are factors you can ‘t change about health but if you lose control with the things listed above and pair them up with the factors you can’t control, your risk for heart disease is even higher. Avoiding the things you can control will lower your risks while dealing with the uncontrollable factors.
Age: Did you know that estrogen prevents plaque build up in the arteries? But once you start to go through menopause your ovaries stop making estrogen thus leaving the door wide open for congested arteries.
Family History: If you have parents of siblings that develop heart disease you are at higher risk for developing heart disease as well.
Race and Ethnicity: The reason is unknown but some racial groups are at higher risk for heart disease, such as African American or Hispanic.
There are other factors that contribute that are variable when it comes to controlling them. Depending on life situations and economic status these factors can vary.
Depression, Stress, and Anxiety: Did you know that these things could trigger plaque build up in your arteries. More importantly these emotional states can trigger bad habits that can lead to heart problems such as smoking, drinking, or over eating.
Not enough sleep: Getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night makes more sense now because sleeping less than 5 hours a night can increase your blood pressure in fact double the risk of it increasing.
Lower income: Those with lower income are at higher risks for heart disease for several reasons. The physical activity in low-income families is typically lower as well as the ability to buy heart healthy foods.
Learn more about what you can control at www.womenshealth.gov