Despite advances in modern medicine, heart disease remains the leading cause of death for adults in almost all demographic groups.
The good news is that heart disease is highly preventable, and it turns out that people’s habits have a huge impact on how frequently it occurs. Heart disease refers to several types of conditions that affect the heart — and they share risk factors such as insufficient exercise, poor diet, smoking, and drinking alcohol. Some conditions also increase the risk of heart diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol. People can learn to control all these things to decrease their risk of a heart attack or congestive heart failure during their lifetime.
The power of exercise
Humans are designed to be active. 10,000 years ago, we all walked (and ran) a lot to hunt food and acquire everything needed to survive. Today, we don’t move around nearly as much. That’s understandable when you think about all the conveniences of modern life: couches, televisions, computers, cars, supermarkets, refrigerators, and so on. Unfortunately, the lack of exercise that comes along with these things is slowly killing us.
Just one hour of exercise every day can reduce blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and cholesterol. It can also reduce anxiety, weaken cravings for tobacco and alcohol, and basically help you feel happier and healthier overall.
Walking is a great form of exercise because it doesn’t require expensive equipment or a gym membership; plus it’s easy to fit into your schedule. More intense exercise is even better, so if you can find time for running, biking, swimming, or competitive sports, go for it! Stretching and strength training are also useful, but the biggest benefit for cardiovascular health comes from aerobic exercise. Work with your healthcare provider to figure out a safe and rational exercise regime for you.
Eating a heart-healthy diet
There’s no shortage of controversial dietary recommendations, but there are a few simple tips everyone can agree on. First, go big on vegetables and fruit, which should cover half your plate at every meal. Second, try to have as many natural colors on your plate as possible to encourage eating a diversity of whole foods. And third, avoid fat, especially from land animals.
One particularly heart-healthy diet is called the Mediterranean Diet, so named because researchers found that people living on the Mediterranean coast had far fewer strokes and heart attacks. When Americans with high cholesterol adopted the Mediterranean diet, their rate of strokes and heart attacks dropped by 75 percent as compared to people who ate what was previously considered a healthy diet — that is, a low-fat, high-fiber diet. For recommendations on dietary changes that will help you reach your health goals, you should consult your primary care provider or a registered nutritionist.
Smoking and drinking harm your heart
Tobacco is a type of poison, and smoking is the vehicle for bringing that poison into our bodies. Smoking is one of the biggest risk factors for strokes and heart attacks, which account for about a quarter of all deaths from cardiovascular disease. The world is finally starting to figure this out. New Zealand, for example, is phasing out smoking, and banning the sale of cigarettes to anyone born after 2009.
Alcohol isn’t much better. Even though the alcohol industry has tried to convince us over and over that drinking is somehow good for our health, it’s just not true. Even red wine does more harm to our hearts than good. Yes, it contains the heart-healthy compound resveratrol, but the alcohol cancels out any benefit. You’d be better off drinking grape juice instead. Either way, drink as little alcohol as you can.
If you’re reading these tips and realizing you’ve been doing the opposite your entire life, please know that it’s never too late, no matter how old you are — even if you’re in your 70s or 80s! If you start making lifestyle changes today (and stick with them), they may very well extend your life.
Wade Gray, MD, specializes in family medicine at Mendocino Coast Clinics, a non-profit, federally qualified health center serving as a patient-centered medical home for people on the Mendocino Coast. MCC provides a team-based approach to care, offering medical, dental, behavioral health services, and more. Learn more at mendocinocoastclinics.org.
