Maintain a healthy heart with a healthy lifestyle

Our heart is a pump that keeps blood moving around our body. It delivers oxygen and nutrients to all parts of our body, and carries away unwanted carbon dioxide and waste products. As our heart muscle contracts, it pushes blood through our heart. With each contraction, or heartbeat:

• Our heart pumps blood forward from its left side, through the aorta (the main artery leaving the heart) and into the arteries. Blood from the right side is pumped to our lungs.

• The blood continues through the arteries, which divide off into smaller and smaller branches of microscopic capillaries. Travelling through this network of capillaries, blood reaches every part of our body.

• The blood then travels back to the heart from the capillaries into the veins. The branches of the veins join to form larger veins, which deliver the blood back to the right side of our heart.

As the heart relaxes in between each heartbeat or contraction, blood from our veins fills the right side of our heart and blood from the lungs fills the left side of our heart.

The two sides of the heart are separate, but they work together. The right side of the heart receives dark, de-oxygenated blood which has circulated around our body. It pumps this to our lungs, where it picks up a fresh supply of oxygen and becomes bright red again.

This movement of blood around the body, pumped by the heart, is called circulation. This system is called the cardiovascular system (or heart and circulatory system).

• It contains about five litres (eight pints) of blood, which your heart is continuously circulating.
• Each day, your heart beats about 100,000 times.
• It pumps about 23,000 litres (5,000 gallons) of blood around your body.

For your heart to keep pumping regularly, it needs an electrical supply. This is provided by a special group of heart cells called the sinus node, which is also known as your heart’s natural pacemaker.

Heart disease is a broad term used to describe a range of diseases that affect your heart. The various diseases that fall under the umbrella of heart disease include diseases of your blood vessels, such as coronary artery disease; heart rhythm problems (arrhythmias); heart infections; and heart defects you're born with (congenital heart defects).

The term "heart disease" is often used interchangeably with "cardiovascular disease." Cardiovascular disease generally refers to conditions that involve narrowed or blocked blood vessels that can lead to a heart attack, chest pain (angina) or stroke. Other heart conditions, such as infections and conditions that affect your heart's muscle, valves or beating rhythm, also are considered forms of heart disease.

Every risk factor counts. Research shows that each individual risk factor greatly increases the chances of developing heart disease. Moreover, the worse a particular risk factor is, the more likely you are to develop heart disease. For example, if you have high blood pressure, the higher it is, the greater your chances of developing heart disease, including its many serious consequences. A damaged heart can damage your life by interfering with enjoyable activities, preventing you from holding a job, and even keeping you from doing simple things, such as taking a walk or climbing steps.

What can you do to reduce your personal risk of heart disease?

To reduce your personal risk of heart disease, first, you can learn about your own risk factors. Second, you can begin to make healthful changes in your diet, physical activity, and other daily habits. Whatever your age or current state of health, it’s never too late to take steps to protect your heart. It’s also never too early. The sooner you act the better it will be. Many forms of heart disease can be prevented or treated with healthy lifestyle choices.

The following are the  risk factors of a Heart disease:

• Your age. Simply getting older increases your risk of damaged and narrowed arteries and weakened or thickened heart muscle, which contribute to heart disease.

• Your sex. Men are generally at greater risk of heart disease. However, the risk for a woman increases after menopause.

• Family history. A family history of heart disease increases your risk of coronary artery disease, especially if a parent developed it at an early age (before age 55 for a male relative, such as your brother or father, and 65 for a female relative, such as your mother or sister).

• Smoking. Nicotine constricts your blood vessels, and carbon monoxide can damage their inner lining, making them more susceptible to atherosclerosis. Heart attacks are more common in smokers than in nonsmokers.

• Poor diet. A diet that's high in fat, salt and cholesterol can contribute to the development of heart disease.

• High blood pressure. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can result in hardening and thickening of your arteries, narrowing the vessels through which blood flows.

• High blood cholesterol levels. High levels of cholesterol in your blood can increase the risk of formation of plaques and atherosclerosis. Plaques can be caused by a high level of low-density lipoproteins (LDLs), known as "bad" cholesterol, or a low level of high-density lipoproteins (HDLs), known as "good" cholesterol.

• Diabetes. Diabetes increases your risk of heart disease. Both conditions share similar risk factors, such as obesity and high blood pressure.

• Obesity. Excess weight typically worsens other risk factors.

• Physical inactivity. Lack of exercise also is associated with many forms of heart disease and some of its other risk factors, as well.

• High stress. Unrelieved stress in your life may damage your arteries as well as worsen other risk factors for heart disease.

• Poor hygiene. Not regularly washing your hands and failure to establish other habits that can help prevent viral or bacterial infections can put you at risk of heart infections, especially if you already have an underlying heart condition. Poor dental health also may contribute to heart disease.

Heart disease can be improved — or even prevented — by making certain lifestyle changes. The following changes can help anyone who wants to improve his or her heart health:

Stop smoking. Smoking is a major risk factor for heart disease, especially atherosclerosis. Nicotine constricts blood vessels and forces your heart to work harder, and carbon monoxide reduces oxygen in your blood and damages the lining of your blood vessels. If you smoke, quitting is the best way to reduce your risk of heart disease and its complications.

  

Control your blood pressure. Ask your doctor for a blood pressure measurement at least every two years. He or she may recommend more frequent measurements if your blood pressure is higher than normal or you have a history of heart disease. Optimal blood pressure is less than 120 systolic and 80 diastolic, as measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg).

Check your cholesterol. Ask your doctor for a baseline cholesterol test when you're in your 20s and then at least every five years. If your test results aren't within desirable ranges, your doctor may recommend more frequent measurements. Most people should aim for an LDL level below 130 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), or 3.4 millimoles per liter (mmol/L). If you have other risk factors for heart disease, your target LDL may be below 100 mg/dL (2.6 mmol/L). 

If you're at very high risk of heart disease — if you've already had a heart attack or have diabetes, for example — your target LDL level is below 70 mg/dL (1.8 mmol/L).

Keep diabetes under control. If you have diabetes, tight blood sugar control can help reduce the risk of heart disease.

  

Get moving. If you have heart disease, exercise helps you achieve and maintain a healthy weight and control diabetes, elevated cholesterol and high blood pressure — all risk factors for heart disease. If you have a heart arrhythmia or heart defect, there may be some restrictions on the activities you can do, so be sure to talk to your doctor first. 

With your doctor's OK, aim for 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity most days of the week. Even if you can't make time for one 30- to 60-minute exercise session, you can still benefit from breaking up your activity into several 10-minute sessions.

Eat healthy foods. A heart-healthy diet based on fruits, vegetables and whole grains — and low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium — can help you control your weight, blood pressure and cholesterol. Eating one or two servings of fish a week also is beneficial.

Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight increases your risk of heart disease. Weight loss is especially important for people who have large waist measurements — more than 40 inches (101.6 centimeters, or cm) for men and more than 35 inches (88.9 cm) for women — because people with this body shape are more likely to develop diabetes and heart disease.

Manage stress. Reduce stress as much as possible. Practice healthy techniques for managing stress, such as muscle relaxation and deep breathing.

  

Practice good hygiene habits. Staying away from other people when they are sick and regularly washing your hands can not only prevent heart infections, but also can help prevent viral or bacterial infections that can put stress on your heart if you already have heart disease. Also, brushing and flossing your teeth regularly can prevent germs in your mouth from making their way to plaques in your heart, which could worsen cardiovascular disease.

In addition to healthy lifestyle changes, remember the importance of regular medical checkups. Early detection and treatment can set the stage for a lifetime of better heart health.

  

Healthy food to maintain healthy weight -

A healthy heart needs a healthy diet. The “Dietary Guidelines for Americans encourage you to:

• Choose a variety of grains daily; half of your daily grains should come from whole grains.

• Choose a variety of fruits and vegetables daily.

• Choose a diet that is low in saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol.

• Choose foods and beverages that are low in added sugar.

• Choose and prepare foods with little salt.

• If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation.

• Aim for a healthy weight.

• Be physically active most days

• Balance the calories you take in with the calories you expend through physical activity.

• Keep foods safe to eat.

Facts on Dietary Fat

There are numerous types of fat. Your body makes its own fat from taking in excess calories. Some fats are found in foods from plants and animals and are known as dietary fat. Dietary fat is one of the three macronutrients, along with protein and carbohydrates that provide energy for your body. Fat is essential to your health because it supports a number of your body's functions. Some vitamins, for instance, must have fat to dissolve and nourish your body.

But there is a dark side to fat. The concern with some types of dietary fat (and their cousin cholesterol) is that they are thought to play a role in cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Dietary fat also may have a role in other diseases, including obesity and cancer.

Research about the possible harms and benefits of dietary fats (sometimes called fatty acids) is always evolving. And a growing body of research suggests that when it comes to dietary fat, you should focus on eating healthy fats and avoiding unhealthy fats.

Harmful dietary fat

The two main types of potentially harmful dietary fat:

• Saturated fat is a type of fat that comes mainly from animal sources of food. Saturated fat raises total blood cholesterol levels and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels, which can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease. Saturated fat may also increase your risk of type 2 diabetes.

• Trans fat is a type of fat that occurs naturally in some foods, especially foods from animals. But most trans fats are made during food processing through partial hydrogenation of unsaturated fats. This process creates fats that are easier to cook with and less likely to spoil than are naturally occurring oils. These trans fats are called industrial or synthetic trans fats. 

Research studies show that synthetic trans fat can increase unhealthy LDL cholesterol and lower healthy high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. This can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease. Most fats that have a high percentage of saturated fat or trans fat are solid at room temperature. Because of this, they're typically referred to as solid fats. They include beef fat, pork fat, shortening, stick margarine and butter.

Healthier dietary fat

The two main types of potentially helpful dietary fat:

  

• Monounsaturated fat is a type of fat found in a variety of foods and oils. Monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) can help reduce bad cholesterol levels in your blood and lower your risk of heart disease and stroke.  They also provide nutrients to help develop and maintain your body’s cells.  Monounsaturated fats are also typically high in vitamin E, an antioxidant vitamin. 

Research also shows that MUFAs may benefit insulin levels and blood sugar control, which can be especially helpful if you have type 2 diabetes. Examples of foods high in monounsaturated fats include vegetable oils such as olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, sunflower oil and sesame oil.  Other sources include avocados, dark chocolate, peanut butter, and many nuts and seeds such as peanuts, walnuts, pistachios, almonds, macadamia nuts.

• Polyunsaturated fat is a type of fat found mostly in plant-based foods and oils. PUFAs may also help decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes and help reduce the cholesterol levels in your blood and lower your risk of heart disease. They also include essential fats that your body needs but can’t produce itself – such as Omega-6 and omega-3.  

Omega-6 and omega-3 play a crucial role in brain function and in the normal growth and development of your body. Omega-3s, found in some types of fatty fish, appear to decrease the risk of coronary artery disease. They may also protect against irregular heartbeats and help lower blood pressure levels.

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