Heart disease is still the number one killer of Americans. Even though research has provided many new drugs and procedures to repair damaged hearts, this disease still claims many lives.
Women, in particular, are at particular risk because they may not recognize the signs of an impending heart attack. These symptoms are different from the classic “chest pain” that is often reported. With lifestyle changes and other natural prevention options, women can reduce their risk of heart disease.
Symptoms of heart disease in women
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that heart disease kills 1 in 4 all women. They note that 2 out of 3 women who die from heart disease had no previous symptoms. Women may experience a heart attack very differently than men. Instead of dramatic, severe chest pain, women may feel a heart problem as a sharp, burning sensation in the chest or pain in the throat, jaw, back or stomach. Shortness of breath, persistent stomach upset, and prolonged nausea can signal a heart attack in women. Fluttering sensations in the chest can signal arrhythmia in women. Swelling of the legs and ankles may be a sign of heart failure. However, sometimes there are no warning symptoms, which makes it important for women to have their heart function checked during annual physicals. Women can also improve their heart function by incorporating a number of natural treatments into their daily lives.1 - Less meat, more vegetable-based food.
Eating less meat and more vegetables can help women build stronger blood vessels, which will help strengthen their hearts. Vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, broccoli, squash, carrots, tomatoes and green peppers are full of antioxidants that prevent the buildup of free radicals that are associated with disease. These vegetables are also low in cholesterol and contain vitamins and minerals that help prevent disease.2 - Exercise regularly
Exercise improves blood circulation, increases muscle strength, helps the brain and improves overall health. Yoga, tennis, cycling, and sporting activities can help you improve your heart health.3 - Quit smoking
Smoking is one of the main factors of cardiovascular diseases. If you smoke, talk to your doctor about smoking cessation programs or medications that can help you quit so you can avoid heart disease and stroke.4 - Drink green tea
A number of studies show that drinking more than 5 cups of green tea per day can reduce the risk of heart disease by 26-28%. It appears to have a healing effect on the tissues that line blood vessels.Women can substitute green tea for coffee, soft drinks, or other beverages throughout the day to reap the benefits of this healing potion.
5 – Cook with olive oil
Olive oil has been found to have beneficial effects on heart health when used as a substitute for trans fats and unsaturated fats. It is a monounsaturated fat that can lower cholesterol and help regulate blood sugar.6 - Increase the amount of fiber in your diet.
Increasing the amount of fiber in your diet can have a number of positive effects. Fiber-filled foods tend to fill you up faster and will help you eat less excess food so you don't gain weight, which is a major factor associated with heart disease. Fiber will also help lower cholesterol, another factor in heart disease. A high fiber diet will also help regulate blood glucose levels in your body to prevent type 2 diabetes. A high fiber diet will also help your digestion to help you feel healthy and ready to take on your day.7 - Learn to deal with stress
Research has shown that stress is a killer, increasing the amount of free radicals in the bloodstream and compromising the immune system. Today, women live with a lot of stress at work and at home and often neglect their health. Women often feel that stress is just a part of life and does not play an active role in managing it. But stress can lead to high blood pressure, poor eating habits, drinking more alcohol and not getting enough sleep. These problems can lead to heart disease and stroke. Stress management techniques may include exercise, meditation, participating in hobbies, or spending free time with friends.Maintaining heart health requires daily actions that help improve overall heart function. These tips will improve your heart health so you can enjoy a longer, healthier life.
The heart is the most important and hardworking organ in the body. It pumps oxygenated blood. But these days this organ is at great risk (from a medical and emotional point of view). Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, killing one person every 34 seconds.
If you want to live long and feel good, your heart must function properly. Here we have listed the top 10 tips that do not require any extra effort or worry and can be incorporated into your daily life.
1. Sleep well and get up early
Sound sleep regulates the overall functioning of the vascular, digestive and muscular systems. A person should sleep at least 6 hours a day. Sleep deprivation is bad for your health.
Keeping a family medical history is very important. If your ancestors/relatives had severe heart disease, you should take precautions in advance.
2. Regular checkups and additional vitamin supplements
Timely and regular inspection is very important. Today's food is not as healthy and fresh as it used to be due to pesticides and scientific technology.
You can take fish oil, vitamin capsules and grape extract as supplements to your regular diet.
3. Foods to avoid
Reduce your intake of unhealthy foods. Fatty foods, although loved throughout the world, try to avoid French fries, mayonnaise, fatty foods such as hamburgers, pizzas, cream pies and candies.
This will prevent not only heart disease, but also other health complications.
4. How to avoid hypertension and stress
Stress and hypertension need to be controlled. Emotional stress is one of the main causes of heart disease. Tense situations should be avoided as much as possible. Keep yourself calm and relax. Do not be angry. Smile more often.
If you are in an unpleasant situation, take deep breaths. Keep tension and stress away from you if you want a healthy heart.
5. Control blood sugar and pressure
Blood pressure and blood sugar levels are related to each other.
People with high sugar levels are more likely to suffer from heart disease. High sugar and salt levels increase blood pressure.
When it is high, it means the heart is additionally stressed, so avoid large amounts of sweets in your diet.
6. Maintain cholesterol levels
LDL, known as bad cholesterol, leads to fat deposits in the arteries, which causes constriction in the vessels and causes blood pressure to jump.
Read labels before you eat anything. Check the amount of saturated fat, cholesterol and calories per serving. Be careful and remember your heart at all times.
7. Stop drinking and smoking
It is necessary to lead a healthy lifestyle. If you want your heart to work properly, stop smoking and drinking alcohol excessively. This takes a serious toll on the heart. Smoking causes nicotine to accumulate in the blood, which not only causes cancer but also clogs the blood vessels, which ultimately affects the heart.
Drinking alcohol in excess is very dangerous. Although it is said that a glass or two of wine a day is good for heart health, but excess consumption leads to excessive blood depletion and causes heart problems.
8. Watch your weight
Excess weight is one of the most common problems around the world. Adults and children are crazy about food. If you are overweight, your heart needs to pump blood with greater force and in turn this puts extra stress on the heart and blood vessels.
Large accumulation of body weight in the abdominal area is one of the causes of heart attack. A BMI test will help you monitor your own weight.
9. Regular training
An active lifestyle will definitely support your health. Nowadays people do not pay enough attention to exercise. They spend the whole day sitting in front of the TV, laptop, eating or sleeping. Exercise keeps you active and is essential for proper blood circulation in the body.
You should exercise 35-40 minutes a day. There is no need to do exercises that are unpleasant for you. Walking, climbing stairs and cycling are the most effective and comfortable exercises and will help avoid blockages in the blood vessels that cause heart disease.
10. Eat healthy
Nutrition should be balanced. Try to eat fresh fruits and vegetables in sufficient quantities for you. Eat foods rich in vitamins and fiber, such as bananas, oats and wheat bran. Protein in the diet is one of the most effective ways to prevent heart disease, such as fish and legumes.
According to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among all age groups worldwide. In Europe, half of those who died over the past few years suffered from ischemic disease of the heart muscle and lower extremities, angina pectoris and myocardial infarction.
What is the danger of atherosclerosis?
Atherosclerosis is dangerous due to the deposition of atherosclerotic plaques on the walls of blood vessels, which are formed due to excess cholesterol. As a result, normal blood circulation in the body is disrupted, and ischemia of some organs develops. If measures are not taken, then over time the vessel will be completely blocked, the blood supply to part of the organ will stop, and the cells surrounding it will die.
How does vascular atherosclerosis manifest?
Depending on the location of the damage to the blood vessels, coronary artery disease may be diagnosed, in which case heart attacks occur. With excess cholesterol, the vessels of the brain, limbs, kidneys, etc. are also affected. But the coronary artery, which supplies the heart muscle with blood, is most often affected.
How to avoid cardiovascular diseases?
Long-term clinical studies have proven the high effectiveness of preventive measures. Scientists say that several risk factors contribute to the development of atherosclerosis. Some of them are uncontrollable, for example, age, gender, genetic causes (complicated heredity).
But there are also controllable factors that can change under the influence of competent preventive measures.
Risk factors
The most famous is an increase in the amount of cholesterol in the blood. Cholesterol (a fat-like substance) is needed by the body in certain quantities for the formation of cell membranes, steroid hormones and vitamin D. But with its excess, various pathologies arise.
Another risk factor that is involved in the development of atherosclerosis is an increased amount of triglycerides (fats) in the blood. U In people with high body weight, laboratory tests show high amounts of cholesterol and triglycerides.
The formation of atherosclerosis is promoted by endocrine diseases (diabetes mellitus) and a tendency to them, bad habits, high blood pressure (various degrees of arterial hypertension), and an inactive lifestyle. All this leads to gradual damage to the walls of blood vessels.
How to identify signs of illness in time?
To do this, you must regularly undergo laboratory and diagnostic tests prescribed by your doctor.
Daily monitoring of blood pressure and laboratory blood tests several times a year are required to determine biochemical indicators, that is, cholesterol, triglycerides and glucose levels.
How to reduce risk factors?
What to eat:
- It is necessary to include omega-3 fatty acids in your daily diet, which have a beneficial effect on the heart, blood pressure, blood clotting, and lipid metabolism.
- You should eat fruits and vegetables that contain antioxidants and fiber every day.
- Cereals reduce cholesterol levels due to the high content of soluble fiber in their composition.
- As drinks, you should drink low-calorie soft drinks, tea, and mineral water.
What to exclude from your diet:
- Products that contain high amounts of saturated fatty acids (palm oil).
- Fatty meats (pork, duck, goose, pork sausage, brawn).
- Fatty dairy products (egg yolks, mayonnaise).
- Table salt.
- Desserts, cakes, sweetened drinks and alcohol.
How to cook food properly:
- Give preference to the grill, use non-stick pans, which allow you not to use fat during cooking.
- Don't eat fried food!
To live an active lifestyle:
- Start gradually increasing physical activity, first walking, then running and swimming in the future.
- Physical activity should be regular and dosed (at least 2-3 times a week).
Stop bad habits:
- If you are unable to quit smoking and drinking alcohol on your own, you should consult a doctor. The doctor will select an individual method of treating addiction.
- If withdrawal symptoms occur, which are accompanied by anxiety, restlessness, inability to concentrate and insomnia, do not postpone a visit to a specialist. It is quite possible to overcome these problems.
Conclusion: preventive measures are accessible to everyone and can prevent the development of serious cardiovascular diseases and improve the quality and length of life.
02/06/2017
Cardiovascular diseases are among the most common among Russians. The head of the therapeutic department of the Be Healthy clinic, Yulia MAKAROVA, spoke about the causes of pathology even in adolescence and how to keep the heart healthy.
- IN In recent years, cardiovascular diseases have rapidly taken first place in Russia in terms of incidence. What's in St. Petersburg? Are city residents starting to experience cardiac problems more often?
Indeed, diseases of the cardiovascular system are becoming more common among St. Petersburg residents every year, and among younger and younger people. This is due to an increase in the number of aggressive external factors that provoke the development of diseases. These primarily include stress, intense work rhythm, inadequate rest, lack of sleep, poor diet, lack of physical activity, and smoking. All this leads to problems such as arterial hypertension. High blood pressure and autonomic dysfunction have begun to occur even among 17-18 year old teenagers who face high levels of stress when preparing for the Unified State Exam. In the future, arterial hypertension can provoke more serious diseases: cerebrovascular accident, kidney disease and vascular disease of the lower extremities.
- So in most cases we ourselves are to blame?
Actually not always. 70% of our predisposition to cardiovascular diseases is determined by heredity. This makes it much more difficult for some people to stay healthy than others. To gauge your risk level, look to your parents. Do any of them have problems with blood vessels or heart? If so, it is very likely that they were passed on to you. In this case, you should carefully monitor your lifestyle to eliminate additional risk factors, and visit a therapist at least once a year. If you have any alarming symptoms, especially chest pain, you should immediately consult a doctor.
Lifestyle determines a predisposition to diseases of the cardiovascular system by only 30%. But at the same time, we see a lot of cases where people themselves lead to a heart attack. After all, cholesterol is formed from the food we eat, and the walls of blood vessels lose elasticity and tone as a result of lack of sleep, stress, and high blood pressure. Even a person with excellent heredity can bring his heart and blood vessels to a completely deplorable state.
- How to minimize the risk of such diseases?
If nothing can be done about heredity, then everyone can lead a correct lifestyle. First of all, do not abuse fast food, fatty, salty and spicy foods. In addition, you need to sleep at least 8 hours a day and give your body sufficient physical activity - at least 45 minutes a day. And you don't need to go to the fitness center for this. Walk briskly from the subway to your home or take the stairs more often. The main thing is to get your heart rate up. Normally, it is in the range from 60 to 90 beats per minute; with aerobic exercise in a healthy person aged 20 to 45 years, it increases to 130-150 beats per minute. This load is quite enough to keep the body in good shape. In this case, it is not necessary to load the heart for 45 minutes straight. You can break your fitness routine into several approaches throughout the day.
- What capabilities does your clinic have in the field of diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases?
The task of any doctor is to identify the problem in time and convince the patient to take measures to maintain health. If we talk about the cardiovascular system, our clinic has created examination programs aimed at identifying such diseases and determining the degree of risk of cardiovascular complications.
As part of such examinations, the patient undergoes initial and repeated consultations with a cardiologist, consultation with an ophthalmologist, 24-hour blood pressure monitoring, ECG, functional exercise test - treadmill test, ultrasound of the kidneys and adrenal glands, laboratory diagnostics - clinical and biochemical blood tests, urine tests. These programs are suitable for people who are not worried about anything, but for some reason they want - for example, due to family history - to check the condition of their cardiovascular system. In this case, the disease can be detected and treated even before symptoms appear. This approach allows you to extend life for many years.
- What if there is already cause for concern?
Don't ignore fleeting ailments. In this case, it is better to start the examination with an appointment with a therapist or cardiologist. After communicating with the patient, the doctor, based on the existing symptoms, will be able to prescribe the necessary examination program. It must be remembered that in the early stages the disease can be treated with medications and serious surgical interventions can be avoided. V.
World Heart Day is celebrated annually on the last Sunday of September. On this day, the World Health Organization (WHO), UNESCO and other organizations try to draw attention to the fact that there is an epidemic of cardiovascular diseases in the world. Today, cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in the world.
Timely prevention of heart disease and a conscious attitude towards your body and health can stop the spread of this epidemic and save many lives.
What causes heart disease?
Risk factors for heart disease and stroke include high blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose levels, smoking, insufficient fruit and vegetable intake, increased weight, obesity and physical inactivity.
What symptoms indicate cardiovascular disease?
You should contact your doctor immediately if you experience one or the following symptoms::- chest pain;
- dizziness, sweating and weakness;
- causeless fainting;
- changes in heartbeat that are accompanied by malaise;
- pale skin;
- frequent swelling;
- dyspnea.
Remember that heart disease is easier to prevent than to treat, so none of the listed symptoms should be attributed to the results of overwork or temporary malaise.
What is needed to prevent cardiovascular diseases?
- Physical activity. This is any kind of sport, in older age - in a gentle mode, or 30-40 minutes of walking if you have never been actively involved in sports.
- Proper nutrition. You should not overuse red meat and side dishes; the less a person consumes sweet, salty and starchy foods, the better.
— Daily routine and healthy sleep. At the same time, sleep should be not only complete in terms of quantity, but also in terms of quality - the bed should be hard, and the pillow and mattress should be orthopedic.
- Pay attention to your well-being - if you listen to your body, you will be able to notice all the warning signs in time and, accordingly, consult a doctor in a timely manner, thereby preventing the disease.
- Giving up bad habits: smoking, alcohol, stress, overeating and poor lifestyle in general - all this significantly increases the likelihood of heart disease.
- Positive attitude. Depression and even everyday stress immediately affect the functioning of the heart, so it is worth protecting yourself from strong negative experiences.
- Knowing of limits. “The first and most important thing is that there should be a sense of proportion in life in everything: in eating, playing sports, working, walking,” says Chief Cardiologist of Moscow, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Academician of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Professor Yuri Buziashvili.
What symptoms may indicate heart problems in a child?
The skin color is not pink, but pale or bluish. A blue tint to the skin may be in the area of the nasolabial triangle. This symptom is especially noticeable if the child is crying or nervous.- In children of the first year of life, “perspiration” during breastfeeding and poor weight gain.
- Children of preschool and school age experience fatigue, shortness of breath, and reluctance to play outdoor games.
- Fainting and pre-syncope.
- The child has chest pain and difficulty breathing.
- The child “feels” the heart as if it is working intermittently.
- High or low blood pressure.
How often should you visit a cardiologist?
Cardiologists recommend going to an appointment not when your heart begins to seriously hurt or when dangerous symptoms appear, but to regularly visit a doctor for preventive purposes. The fact is that heart disease develops slowly; the first symptoms can be headaches, pressure surges, and pinching in the heart area. Therefore, the ideal mode of communication with a cardiologist is once every year to a year and a half, and then, provided that nothing bothers you.
It is worth paying more attention to your heart after 45-50 years - at this age, regular checks of all body systems are necessary, and the heart in the first place.
How is the heart examined?
If you have heart pain or any other symptoms, you should immediately contact a cardiologist or cardiac surgeon.There are several examination options:
— ECG (electrocardiogram);
— stress ECG (recording an ECG during physical activity);
— ECG Holter monitoring (ECG recording during the day).
A deeper understanding of the work of the heart is provided by methods such as:
— echocardiography (examination of the condition of the heart muscles and valves using ultrasound);
— phonocardiography (study of heart murmurs);
- radiography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of the spine (in order to understand that the causes of pain in the heart area are not directly related to the heart).
What are the types of cardiovascular diseases?
Arrhythmia- These are disturbances in the rhythm of the heartbeat. Common causes of arrhythmia include smoking and alcoholism.
is a chronic disease that affects fairly large and medium-sized arteries. The essence of the disease is that lipoproteins are deposited in the inner lining of the arteries.
Varicose veins or varicose veins- this is a pathological process of damage to blood vessels or veins, on which “nodes” are formed that impede normal blood flow.
Hypertonic disease- manifests itself in the form of increased blood pressure. This disease damages most vital organs.
- damage to the heart muscle, which occurs due to blockage of the coronary artery, or its branches. In most cases, it is a consequence of atherosclerosis and obesity.
Cardiac ischemia- resulting from a violation of the blood-filling function of the heart. Usually this disease occurs in combination with other heart diseases.
Cardiosclerosis- a heart disease based on the development of connective tissue in the myocardium as a result of coronary atherosclerosis.
Heart failure- a condition expressed in the inability of the heart to function as a pump that provides blood circulation. Also, heart failure is a consequence of other diseases of the cardiovascular system that deactivate this function of the heart.
is a form of coronary artery disease. Manifests itself in sharp pain in the heart area.
Thromboembolism- blockage of blood vessels with blood clots. The most dangerous is thromboembolism of the pulmonary artery and its branches.
What to do if your heart “sicks”?
The main signs of serious heart problems are pain behind the sternum, radiating to the left arm, under the shoulder blade, and into the neck. The pain is severe, but for some it may be aching or dull.
First of all, you need to call an ambulance, and you need to call a special cardiology team. While help is on the way, you can take one nitroglycerin tablet.
This is a universal remedy for heart pain. It will also help distinguish a myocardial infarction from an attack of angina. During an attack of angina, the pain will quickly go away after taking nitroglycerin, but during a heart attack it will not.
You should not take more than one nitroglycerin tablet: it can lower blood pressure, which will worsen the patient’s condition.
If there are no contraindications, you can take aspirin in a dosage of up to 500 mg, and then lie down. The remaining first aid measures should be taken not by the patient, but by the doctor.
