6 easy steps to help prevent heart disease
Miscellaneous / / August 31, 2022
1. Control blood pressure
Half of Russians living with hypertension does not suspectSo that the heart does not hurt: what is the danger of arterial hypertension and how to avoid it / National projectsthat they have heart problems. This is because often the increase in pressure leaksHypertension / WHO asymptomatic. Even if a person feels healthy, he needs to measure indicators at least several times a year. Blood pressure in the range of 120/80 is considered normal.
Sergey Boytsov
Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, General Director of the Federal State Budgetary Institution “N. ak. E. AND. Chazov" of the Ministry of Health of Russia.
High blood pressure is dangerous for the body. Because of it, the vessels thicken and become thicker than the walls of the left ventricle of the heart - this is the chamber that pumps blood into the arteries. If left untreated, hypertension can lead to serious consequences such as heart attacks, strokes, and heart failure. Even young people under 40 can face this. And when there are additional risk factors - smoking, overweight, diabetes, complications develop quickly. It is impossible to normalize the pressure forever. Hypertension is a chronic process. But you can control its course: follow the recommendations of specialists, take drugs if they are prescribed, and adhere to a healthy lifestyle.
The diagnosis of hypertension is made by a specialist. But you can also recognize high blood pressure at home, using a tonometer. You need to measure indicators in a calm state, sitting at the table. It is advisable to choose a tonometer with a shoulder cuff - it is more accurate than devices that are attached to the wrist and finger.
Diseases of the heart and blood vessels - the main causeCardiovascular diseases / WHO deaths all over the world. The national project seeks to reduce their number "healthcare». It is aimed at the prevention and early detection of cardiovascular diseases. You can find out more on the official portal of the Ministry of Health of Russia about a healthy lifestyle Takzdorovo.ru.
Learn more2. Give up alcohol and nicotine
Smoking and drinking increaseCardiovascular diseases / WHO the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. For example, in 20% of deaths from coronary heart disease guiltyTobacco is responsible for 20% of deaths from coronary heart disease / WHO nicotine. Quitting addiction, on the other hand, is good for your health. A year later, the former smoker has half decliningTobacco is responsible for 20% of deaths from coronary heart disease / WHO risk of developing heart disease.
Alcohol - causeAlcohol / WHO more than 200 diseases and injuries. It harms many organs and systems of the body, including the heart and blood vessels. For example, alcohol provokesThe Ministry of Health told how alcohol affects the heart / Parliament newspaper development of atrial fibrillation, which causes rapid and irregular heartbeats.
Sergey Boytsov
Alcohol speeds up the heartbeat, increases blood pressure and dilates blood vessels - this can be seen by the way the face turns red. People who abuse alcohol develop alcoholic cardiomyopathy. The chambers of the heart expand, it pumps blood poorly, shortness of breath and swelling appear. Often the disease causes sudden death.
Nicotine and tar, which smokers inhale, provoke damage to the inner lining of blood vessels and the development of atherosclerosis.
3. Keep track of your weight
Excess kilograms may leadObesity and overweight / WHO to heart disease and stroke. An easy way to find out if there are problems with weight is to calculate the body mass index using the formula: weight (kg) / height² (m). The result should be in withinThreshold value of BMI according to WHO / WHO standards 18,5—24,9. It is necessary to check this indicator even for those who do not consider themselves complete. The risk of cardiovascular disease is also associated with visceral fat, which accumulates in the abdominal cavity. Exist dataCentimeter by centimeter / Project of Rospotrebnadzor of the Russian Federation "Healthy Eating", which indicate that a waist circumference greater than 88 cm in women and from 102 cm in men may signal the presence of such deposits.
Sergey Boytsov
The external absence of obesity does not mean that there are no problems with weight. Unfortunately, often fat can be located not only under the skin, but also in the internal organs and intermuscular spaces. This metabolic obesity, which provokes the development of atherosclerosis, diabetes and hypertension.
Being underweight in itself is not dangerous for the heart. But if a person suffers a serious illness like a myocardial infarction, then both insufficient and overweight can worsen the prognosis.
The appearance of excess weight contributeObesity and overweight / WHO addiction to sweet and fatty foods and lack of physical activity. Do not go on extreme diets in the hope of losing weight faster. With prolonged significant restriction in food, the tissues of the muscles and internal organs can loseDiets and unbalanced nutrition / Official portal of the Ministry of Health of Russia about oncological diseases mass as fast as adipose tissue. It is enough to eat a balanced diet and move a lot.
4. Diversely eat
The norm of the diet of an adult athlete will differ from the norm for a teenage girl. To find out your recommendation for sure, you can contact a nutritionist - they will even make a menu for you. But there are also general principles. For example, in the daily diet need to includeHealthy eating / WHO 400 g fruits and vegetables. Reduce your salt intake to one teaspoon per day. Specialists recommendHealthy eating / WHO also reduce the amount of saturated fat: they are found in butter, cheese, cream, lard and fatty meat. It is better to give preference to unsaturated ones, which are found in fish, avocados and nuts. You also need to monitor the amount of sugar - ideally it should to beHealthy eating / WHO no more than 5% in the diet.
Sergey Boytsov
There are several substances dangerous for the heart that enter the body with food. For example, up to 30% of cholesterol a person receives from food. With an increase in this indicator, the likelihood of the formation of atherosclerotic plaques increases. To lower cholesterol, you need to reduce the consumption of animal fats and take medications if they are prescribed by a specialist. It is also important to monitor your glucose levels. Being overweight and being overweight is associated with a risk of developing type II diabetes.
On average, the content of total cholesterol in the blood should not exceedRaised cholesterol / WHO 5.0 mmol/l. But this indicator can change with age, so an accurate diagnosis is carried out by a specialist. NormMean fasting blood glucose / WHO fasting blood glucose - from 3.9 to 5.6 mmol / l.
It is important to review not only food, but also drinks. For example, in energy a lot of caffeineEnergy drinks are a real danger to the health of children, adolescents, youth and adults. Part 2. Risks associated with the consumption of alcoholic energy drinks. World Health Organization recommendations. Legislative regulation in different countries / Media Sphere Publishing House. Passion for them may resultEnergy drinks are a real danger to the health of children, adolescents, youth and adults. Part 2. Risks associated with the consumption of alcoholic energy drinks. World Health Organization recommendations. Legislative regulation in different countries / Media Sphere Publishing House to high blood pressure, tachycardia and other unpleasant consequences.
Sergey Boytsov
Limit coffee and tea to one to two cups a day. In addition to possible sleep problems, caffeine leads to an increase in the number of extrasystoles - premature heart contractions. And in people with cardiovascular disease, it can cause an increase in blood pressure.
5. Move more
Norm for an adult - 150–300Physical activity / WHO minutes of moderate physical activity per week. It can be walking, cycling, morning exercises. When sitting, it is important to use every opportunity to get up from the table. For example, instead of having lunch at the computer, you can go to the nearest cafe. Or, if you take food from home, take a break in the park and take a walk.
Sometimes it is worth using the stairs instead of the elevator. And also - several times a day to do a short workout, such as turning the head, rotating the shoulders and tilting.
Sergey Boytsov
A sedentary lifestyle is dangerous not only because it affects the development of obesity. With age, due to lack of activity, blood flow to the muscles decreases. This provokes an increase in blood pressure. In many cases, hypertension can be corrected by exercise. For example, walk up to 10,000 steps a day.
6. Reduce stress levels
Stress raisesSo that the heart does not hurt: what is the danger of arterial hypertension and how to avoid it / National projects arterial pressure. To reduce this risk, tryHow to beat stress / Portal about a healthy lifestyle - the official resource of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation sleep at least 7-8 hours a day and lead a measured life. For example, you can plan your work week in advance and alternate periods of intense work and rest. It is important to allocate time for activities that bring positive emotions: chatting with friends, reading, walking in nature. Trying to beat stress with alcohol and nicotine for sure not worth itHow to beat stress / Portal about a healthy lifestyle - the official resource of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation: stress will not go away, but health problems will increase.
Sergey Boytsov
Any stress, as a rule, has a beginning and an end. If the condition becomes chronic, we can talk about increased anxiety. To cope with it, you should contact a specialist - you may need medication correction.
Prevention, diagnosis and treatment of heart diseases are one of the key areas of the national project "healthcare». During his work in the regions, new MRI and CT machines, as well as angiographic complexes, which are used to check blood vessels, have appeared. By 2024, as part of the national project, they are going to modernize about 140 vascular centers and 469 primary vascular departments throughout the country.
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