▎ WuXi AppTec content team editor
Heart disease, one of the main causes of human health damage and death, it is not a specific disease, but a general term for a disease with cardiac lesions, caused by damaged or abnormal heart structure.
The occurrence and development of heart disease is related to a variety of factors, such as family history, autoimmune deficiencies, age, high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, infections, etc. Some of these factors are immutable, such as family history, while others can be changed, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, etc.
If you want to maintain heart health and prevent the occurrence and development of heart disease, you need to take measures to address these modifiable factors. Specifically, you can start from the following 7 aspects to promote heart health and prevent heart disease.
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Non-smoking
Smoking is an unhealthy behavior, and the chemicals contained in tobacco can harm heart and blood vessel health.
Cigarette smoke reduces oxygen in the blood, so that the heart must "work harder" to provide enough oxygen to the body and brain, increasing the burden on the heart, raising blood pressure and speeding up the heart rate.
Not smoking, quitting as early as possible, and avoiding passive smoking at the same time will help reduce the risk of heart disease.
Regular movement
Regular exercise in daily life can reduce the risk of heart disease.
Regular exercise not only helps control weight and prevent obesity; it also reduces the risk of other diseases that can increase heart damage, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes. Studies have found that regular exercise is expected to reduce systolic blood pressure by 4 mmHg-9 mmHg.
The form of movement can take aerobic, impedance, stretching, etc. Aerobic exercise is the mainstay, supplemented by anaerobic exercise. Exercise intensity must vary from person to person, with moderate intensity of exercise referring to exercise that can reach 60%-70% of the maximum heart rate (maximum heart rate [times/minute] = 220-age).
Eat foods that are good for the heart
A healthy diet helps protect the heart, improve blood pressure and cholesterol, and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Heart-friendly diet patterns include the Deshu diet and the Mediterranean diet, which tied for first place in the 2022 Best Heart Diet published by U.S. News & World Report.
The Deshu diet requires a daily diet of less than 2.3 g (equivalent to 6 g of table salt) and a gradual reduction to 1.5 g per day (equivalent to 4 g of table salt); promotes the use of lean meat, poultry, and fish as the main protein source in recipes; a balanced intake of fruits and vegetables, dairy products, grains, soy products, nuts, small amounts of fats and sweets; a reduction in saturated fats, such as fats in meat (fatty meat) and full-fat dairy products; and a reduction in sugary drinks and sweets.
The Mediterranean diet emphasizes that vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, whole grains, olive oil and spices should be eaten on a regular basis; fish and seafood should be eaten at least twice a week; poultry, eggs, cheese and yogurt should be eaten in moderation; away from red meat and sugar; and if you have to drink alcohol, you can drink some red wine in moderation, of course, it is best not to drink alcohol.
Maintain a healthy weight
Being overweight and obese, especially abdominal obesity, significantly increases the risk of heart disease. At the same time, being overweight and obese can also lead to other diseases (high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, etc.), increasing the risk of heart disease.
In daily life, it is necessary to control energy intake, increase exercise time, and reduce sedentary behavior to maintain weight within the healthy range (body mass index [BMI]: 18.5 kg/m2-23.9 kg/m2, male waist circumference <90 m, female <85 cm).
In addition, behavioral therapy, such as establishing diet awareness, making a meal plan, recording the type and weight of food ingested, and calculating calories, can also help with weight loss.
Get quality sleep
Sleep is the foundation of health. Healthy sleep is important for cognitive function, mood, mental health, and cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and metabolic health. People who don't get enough sleep are at higher risk of obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and depression.
For quality sleep, adults should sleep 7-9 hours per night; older adults should sleep 7-8 hours per night; children 6-13 years old should sleep 9-11 hours per night; and adolescents aged 14-17 should sleep 8-10 hours per night.
In addition to adequate sleep time, good sleep also needs good sleep quality, sleep and wake up time regularly, it is best to fall asleep and get up at a fixed time every day; at the same time, it is also necessary to treat sleep disorders or other diseases or problems that affect sleep in time, including obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, insomnia, snoring, teeth grinding, sleepwalking, dreaming (dream talking), night terrors, etc.
Respond to stress appropriately
Mental stress activates the sympathetic nervous system, which raises blood pressure and is harmful to heart health. At the same time, some people will also cope with stress in unhealthy ways, such as overeating, alcoholism or smoking, which will not only not relieve stress, but also further deepen the damage to the heart.
In daily life, stress management should be carried out in a healthy way, such as regular exercise, learning to relax and meditate, etc., if necessary, you can also go to a professional medical institution for treatment, and take psychotherapy combined with drug treatment to alleviate anxiety and mental stress.
Conduct regular health checks
High blood pressure can damage heart and blood vessel health. But if you don't usually have the habit of measuring blood pressure, by the time symptoms appear, it is likely to have harmed the heart and blood vessels.
Therefore, in daily life, it is necessary to develop the habit of regular self-monitoring of blood pressure and pay attention to changes in blood pressure. Blood pressure should be measured at least once a year for people with normal blood pressure (90-139 mmHg/60-89 mmHg) and should be measured frequently and under the health guidance of a healthcare provider for people with high normal blood pressure (120-139 mmHg/80-89 mmHg).
In addition, annual health examinations should be carried out, paying attention to changes in cholesterol, blood sugar, etc., and taking timely measures to keep relevant indicators within a healthy range.
In addition to the above 7 ways to help promote heart health and reduce the risk of heart disease and development, you can also take drugs that lower blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar. However, when taking medication, you should follow your doctor's advice and take it on time and in accordance with the dosage.
A multi-pronged approach to medication and lifestyle will better promote heart health.