7 Tips to Reduce Your Risk Of Heart Failure

You can prevent heart disease by following a heart-healthy lifestyle. Here are strategies to help you protect your heart.

1. Exercise

Aim for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week. Life expectancy increases in direct proportion to physical activity.

2. Reduce your Mid Section

Waist circumference can be a useful tool to measure how much belly fat you have. The risk of heart disease is higher if the waist measurement is greater than:

• 40 inches (101.6 centimetres, or cm) for men

• 35 inches (88.9 cm) for women

3. Maintain Healthy Diet

A heart-healthy eating plan includes:

• Vegetables and fruits

• Beans or other legumes

• Lean meats and fish

• Low-fat or fat-free dairy foods

• Whole grains

• Healthy fats, such as olive oil

Limit intake of the following:

• Salt

• Sugar

• Processed carbohydrates

• Alcohol

• Saturated fat (found in red meat and full-fat dairy products) and trans fat (found in fried fast food, chips, and baked goods)

4. Don't Ignore Symptoms

If you're worried, it's fine to visit your family doctor or a cardiologist to make sure everything is fine; we may be able to spot a problem before it becomes serious.

5. Manage Your Cholesterol

The risk of heart disease and stroke can be greatly reduced by maintaining an LDL (bad cholesterol) level below 100 or, even better, below 70.

6. Know Your Blood Pressure

Maintaining a blood pressure reading, on average, below 120/80 on a regular basis will greatly lessen your chances of developing heart failure in the future.

7. Pay Attention To Your Mental Health

Depression and anxiety prevent us from taking the best care of ourselves as the pandemic has taken a huge toll on many people. It is crucial to assess your emotional well-being at the present time.

High cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes are all conditions for which a doctor may prescribe medication and suggest lifestyle changes. Be sure to take your prescribed medications on time and stick to your healthy lifestyle plan.