8 Essentials for a Healthy Heart

(Family Features) Cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 cause of death in the United States and globally. Studies throughout the past two decades indicate more than 80% of all cardiovascular events may be prevented by a healthy lifestyle and management of risk factors.

To help Americans measure their cardiovascular health and make meaningful lifestyle changes, the American Heart Association introduced Life’s Essential 8, a checklist that explains eight habits and health measures that affect heart and brain health and overall well-being.

The checklist incorporates knowledge gained from more than 2,400 scientific papers on cardiovascular health published since it was initially introduced as Life’s Simple 7 more than a decade ago. It has been expanded to apply to anyone age 2 and older, and now includes sleep as the eighth cardiovascular health component, reflecting findings that healthy sleep is essential for optimal heart and brain health.

“The idea of optimal cardiovascular health is important because it gives people positive goals to work toward at any stage of life,” said Donald M. Lloyd-Jones, M.D., Sc.M., EAHA, president of the American Heart Association and chair of the department of preventive medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. “We felt it was the right time to conduct a comprehensive review of the latest research to refine the existing metrics and consider any new metrics that add value to assessing cardiovascular health for all people.”

Start making positive changes to improve your heart and brain health with these eight essential steps:

Eat Better
The checklist offers a simple questionnaire to assess your eating pattern. A heart-healthy diet encompasses a high intake of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes; whole grains and fat-free and low-fat dairy; lean protein; and low intake of sodium, red and processed meats, and sweetened foods and drinks. Eat whole foods and rely on healthy non-tropical oils (like olive and canola) for cooking.

Get Active
For most adults, the target level of moderate physical activity (such as walking) is 150 minutes or more per week or 75 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity physical activity. Kids ages 6 and older need 1 hour or more of play and structured activities per day.

Quit Tobacco and Nicotine
Nicotine makes your heart rate and blood pressure skyrocket while carbon monoxide and tobacco rob your heart, brain, and arteries of oxygen. There are about 4,000 chemical components found in cigarettes; at least 250 of them are harmful to your health. Reducing your health risk means eliminating exposure to any form of nicotine, including cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and vaping devices, as well as limiting your exposure to secondhand smoke.

Get Adequate Sleep
Getting a good night’s sleep is vital to cardiovascular health. Measured by average hours of sleep per night, the optimal level is 7-9 hours daily for adults. Ideal daily sleep ranges for children are 10-16 hours per 24 hours for ages 5 and younger; 9-12 hours for ages 6-12; and 8-10 hours for ages 13-18.

Maintain a Healthy Body Weight
Although the measure of body mass index (BMI) is not a perfect metric, it is easily calculated and widely available; therefore, BMI remains a reasonable gauge to assess weight categories that may lead to health problems. A BMI of 18.5-24.9 is associated with the highest levels of cardiovascular health.

Manage Cholesterol Levels
Non-HDL (“bad”) cholesterol, rather than total cholesterol, is a reasonable predictor of cardiovascular risk. Non-HDL cholesterol can be measured without fasting, which means it can be assessed at any time of day and reliably calculated.

Manage Blood Glucose
When there is not enough insulin or the body does not use insulin efficiently, blood glucose levels accumulate in the bloodstream. Hemoglobin A1c readings measure your long-term blood glucose control. A normal A1c is below 5.7%; between 5.7%-6.4% indicates pre-diabetes.

Understand Blood Pressure Readings
Optimal blood pressure is less than 120/80 mm Hg while hypertension is defined as a 130-139 mm Hg systolic pressure (the top number in a reading) or 80-89 mm Hg diastolic pressure (bottom number).

For more ideas to achieve optimal cardiovascular health, or to assess your health and lifestyle risks, visit heart.org/lifes8.

 

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

 

SOURCE:
American Heart Association

Reclaim Your Health

Take charge of risk factors affecting your heart health

(Family Features) Cholesterol – a waxy substance created by the liver or consumed from meat, poultry and dairy products – isn’t inherently “bad” for you. In fact, your body needs it to build cells and make vitamins and other hormones. However, too much “bad” LDL cholesterol, or not enough “good” HDL cholesterol, can pose problems.

High cholesterol is one of the major controllable risk factors for heart disease and stroke. Because it typically has no symptoms, you may not know you have high cholesterol until it’s already causing problems.

Knowing key health numbers like your blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol, and working closely with your doctor to manage them, are keys to preventing heart disease and stroke.

Those who have already experienced a heart attack or stroke or have a family history of cardiovascular disease, chronic inflammatory disease, or kidney disease may need to have their cholesterol and other risk factors checked more often and may need medication to manage their conditions to prevent another event. According to the American Heart Association, as many as 1 in 4 survivors will have another heart attack or stroke.

Along with taking your medication as prescribed, some lifestyle habits can help manage your risk and help you live a longer, healthier life like watching what you eat, getting more exercise, and managing stress.

Make Healthy Menu Choices

A healthy eating plan is a well-rounded diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables (at least 4-5 servings each day). In fact, researchers at the University of Columbia found each daily serving of fruits or vegetables was associated with a 4% lower risk of coronary heart disease and a 5% lower risk of stroke.

Other smart choices for your menu include nuts and seeds, whole grains, lean proteins and fish. Limit sweets, sugar-sweetened beverages, saturated fat, trans fat, sodium and fatty or processed meats.

Get Moving

You likely know exercise is good for you, but an Oxford University study revealed simply swapping 30 minutes of sitting with low-intensity physical activity can reduce your risk of death by 17%. Mortality aside, in its Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services noted physical activity offers numerous benefits to improve health, including a lower risk of diseases, stronger bones and muscles, improved mental health and cognitive function, and lower risk of depression.

The greatest impacts come from getting the recommended amount of activity: at least 150 minutes of moderate activity, 75 minutes of vigorous activity or a combination of those activities per week. Be sure to discuss with your doctor which activities may be best for you.
If you’re having trouble getting motivated, small steps like walking your dog can lead to big changes over time. A scientific statement from the American Heart Association on pets and heart health showed dog parents are more likely to reach their fitness goals than those without canine companions.

Reduce Stress

Constant or chronic stress can have real consequences on both emotional and physical health. In fact, research shows chronic stressors like long work hours, financial stress and work-life conflict may be as risky for health as secondhand smoke, according to a report by the Behavior Science and Policy Association.

Aside from the direct toll on your body – including elevated risk for heart disease and stroke from high blood pressure, depression or anxiety – stress can lead to unhealthy habits like overeating, physical inactivity and smoking.

Exercise is an effective way to keep your body healthy and release stress. You might also consider incorporating meditation and mindfulness practices into your day to allow yourself a few minutes to distance yourself from daily stress.

Research compiled by the American Heart Association suggests meditation can reduce blood pressure, improve sleep, support the immune system and increase your ability to process information.

Another powerful tool to fight depression, anxiety and poor sleep, according to researchers at the University of California-San Diego, is practicing gratitude or thankfulness. Start by simply writing down three things you’re grateful for each day.

Learn more about managing your cholesterol and habits to protect your heart health at heart.org/cholesterol.

How a Major Health Event Can Reveal Unknown Risks

Before his stroke, Lee Stroy, a father of five, considered himself to be a healthy person.

“My gauge of being ‘healthy’ was my ability to wake up in the morning, get to work, take care of my family and live another day to do it again,” Stroy said. “That is, until I couldn’t.”

In December 2014, Stroy woke up disoriented and scared after suffering a stroke at just 38 years old. He quickly discovered he had undiagnosed hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol.

“It surprised me to learn there are often no visible symptoms for high cholesterol until a heart or stroke event,” Stroy said. “Unfortunately, I was not diligent about my annual check-ups, so my health setbacks provided me with a huge wake-up call.”

Stroy decided to take control of his health and this marked the beginning of a major lifestyle transformation.

The first change was quitting smoking. Next, he began incorporating exercise into his daily routine, initially with simple exercises from occupational therapy. Eventually, he worked up to walking several miles a day. Stroy also gradually made changes to his diet and went from being a meat-eater to a vegan. He also attends regular doctor’s visits to keep tabs on his progress.

“While it was no easy feat to make such drastic lifestyle changes, they are now second nature,” Stroy said. “Don’t put off or be afraid to go to the doctor. You could catch something early and be able to make changes that save your life.”

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

SOURCE:
American Heart Association