subject: Heart Attack And Lowering The Risks [print this page] Heart Attack And Lowering The Risks Heart Attack And Lowering The Risks
A heart attack occurs when the arteries that supply blood to the heart become blocked or partially blocked. When this happens the muscle of the heart becomes injured and death of the muscle occurs. This can cause chest pain and even death. The blood flow in the arteries of the heart (coronary arteries) becomes impaired when the inside walls of the arteries become narrow. This is a result of many factors which result in what is called coronary heart disease. Some of the factors that promote heart attack are controllable, some are not. To lower your risk of heart attack, it is advised to control the factors you do have control over.
Risk Factors That Cannot be controlled:
Age - risk increases with age.
Gender - Men are at greater risk than women.
Race - Caucasians have lower risk than African Americans, or Hispanics.
Other Pathologies - Diabetes and previous heart attacks increase the risk.
Family History - If any of your close relatives have had a stroke, heart attack, or coronary artery disease, your risk is higher.
Factors That You Can Control
Smoking - Risk of heart attack increases if you smoke.
Blood pressure - Have your blood pressure checked. High blood pressure can be controlled, and high blood pressure can increase risk of heart attack.
Cholesterol - Have cholesterol checks periodically. Lowering your cholesterol can decrease the risk of heart attack. Eating low fat foods can also help.
Weight - Obesity increases the chances of heart attack.
Exercise - Moderate exercise lowers the risk of heart attacks.
A Simple Start
The easiest way to start taking care of your heart is to start getting some leisure activity in your daily life. It is easy! Walk the dog every day. Use the stairs instead of the elevator. Start small and do not just jump right into a workout plan if you are not going to stick to it and just give up. Work your way up to it.
Start reading food labels. Watch for things with high cholesterol and high sodium. Try to eat things that are NOT canned or in a box. Eating properly is much more difficult than getting some exercise in. We think of food all day long. Get some help. Find yourself a nutritionist or dietitian that can guide you. If you have a friend that eats healthy and is healthy, ask for help.
The choice is yours to be healthy. Take care of your heart today and do not wait until it is to late.
