Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the US. Some risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease such as your age, gender, ethnic background, and family history aren't ones you can do anything about. Other risk factors are quite controllable. Here are some things you can do to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease.
Regular Exercise
Getting regular exercise, especially cardiovascular exercise, can help you keep your heart in good health. Your heart is like any other muscle in your body. It needs exercise to stay fit. When your heart is healthy, it's able to efficiently pump blood to the rest of your body. This helps control your blood pressure. Regular exercise can also help you avoid being overweight, which is also a risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease.
Get Proper Nutrients
Your diet is another huge contributing factor that impacts your risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Your diet can impact your cholesterol levels, your risk of developing diabetes, your blood pressure, and your weight, all of which are risk factors of developing cardiovascular disease. By eating a healthy diet that is high in fiber, protein, and omega-3s, you can improve your cardiovascular health. You can get omega-3s through superfoods like hemp oil and other foods. Include a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables, and try to avoid refined sugars and grains where you can.
Avoid Smoking
Smoking is a huge risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease. Chemicals in cigarette smoke can cause your blood to thicken and even clot. This can block your blood vessels, which is incredibly dangerous. It can easily lead to strokes and heart attacks. If you smoke, you owe it to your heart to quit as soon as possible. Even if you don't smoke, you aren't entirely off the hook. Though the degree of severity is less, regular exposure to secondhand smoke increases your risk of developing cardiovascular disease. This is true even if you never touch a single cigarette.
While not all risk factors are ones you can control, there are many that you can. Exercising regularly, eating a healthy and balanced diet, and avoiding smoking are just some of the things you can do to reduce your risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Take steps now to improve your health and improve your quality of life now and later down the road.
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