Find out how you can reduce your risk for a heart attack.
Whether heart disease runs in your family or not, you must be leading a healthy lifestyle to protect the health of your heart. After all, the CDC reports that every 40 seconds someone in the US has a heart attack. Our Woodbridge and Stafford, VA, cardiologists at NOVA Cardiovascular Care want to provide patients with valuable information to help promote heart health while reducing their risk for a heart attack during their lifetime. Here are simple steps you can start taking today to reduce your risk,
Limit Salt
Thanks to America’s love of processed and packaged foods, we’re consuming twice as much sodium as we should be. The FDA reports that 90 percent of Americans are eating more than the recommended daily intake of sodium and that nearly half of Americans have hypertension.
One of the best ways to reduce your heart attack risk is to limit visiting fast-food chains here in Woodridge and Stafford, VA, and to start cooking at home more. You’ll be able to control how much sodium will go into your food and you’ll also be able to cook healthier meals.
Reduce Alcohol Consumption
Long-term heavy drinking can certainly have a serious impact on your health, particularly your heart. Heavy alcohol consumption increases high blood pressure, which also increases your risk for a heart attack. By limiting or cutting out alcohol completely you can reduce that risk. This means no more than two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women.
Kick the Tobacco
Smoking or tobacco use doubles or even triples your chances of dying from a heart attack and about one-quarter of heart attacks may be directly related to smoking. The good news is that by quitting you can reduce your risk for a heart attack. In fact, your risk for a heart attack drops in half after just two years after quitting, and after 15 years of quitting your risk of a heart attack is the same as a non-smoker.
Get Active
Most people hear the words “exercise” and cringe; however, getting the healthy recommended dose of exercise is not that hard (and you don’t even need a gym membership to do it!). It’s recommended that most adults get anywhere from 30-60 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a day. Don’t like the gym? No problem. Even a brisk walk around the neighborhood every day can be beneficial to your heart health.
Protecting yourself from a heart attack doesn’t have to be a challenge, and the Woodbridge and Stafford, VA, cardiologists at NOVA Cardiovascular Care are ready to work with you to create a healthier lifestyle today. To schedule a heart screening with our team, call (703) 492-6822 for the Woodbridge office or (540) 628-2173 for Stafford.