Among the risk factors that benefits the most from lifestyle modification in terms of dietary restrictions and regular exercise is diabetes mellitus.
Achieving and maintaining one’s ideal body weight makes elevated blood sugar easier to control.
The advice to take low salt, low fat diet has a lot of sound basis.
This is more so if coupled with avoidance of sedentary lifestyle. Indulging in aerobic exercise such as walking, jogging, cycling or swimming for 30 minutes for at least three times a week is bound to pay off.
It is never too late for those of us who are overweight, cigarette smoker, and hypertensive, dyslipidimic, diabetic and physically inactive.
Exercise is better as a preventive measure rather than as rehabilitative after a heart or brain attack.
A regular jogger was once asked why he does his exercise regularly. His reply was: “I feel good when I run. I feel better soon after I run, and I feel best 20 years later.”
Tag Archives: HEALTHY HEART
TIPS FOR A HEALTY HEART (part 6)
TIPS FOR A HEALTY HEART (part 5)
Moderate exercise, smoking cessation and small amounts of alcohol contribute to raising our good cholesterol.
Drinking alcoholic beverages is not encouraged for those who do not drink but for those who do, a simple “rule of two” applies.
This means two bottles of beer or two shots of hard liquor or two glasses of wine ( preferably red wine) But remember, it is not “and” but “or” of the mentioned beverages.
Hypertension is a major risk factor to the development of coronary disease, stroke and renal insufficiency.
Uncontrolled hypertension puts a patient to dangers of hemorrhagic stroke, a form of brain attack characterized by rapture of cerebral vessel leading to clot or hematoma formation within the brain tissue. This can lead to paralysis or death.
TIPS FOR A HEALTY HEART (part )
Hypercholesterolemia or dyslipidemia results from increase intake of fatty foods especially those derived from animal sources.
LDL cholesterol or the bad cholesterol is the main culprit in antherosclerosis or hardening of the blood vessels. It is the prime target for cholesterol lowering interventions.
Among patients with metabolic syndrome or frank diabetes mellitus, elevated triglyceride and low HDL-cholesterol (the good cholesterol) are the common lipid abnormalities.
These lipid abnormalities respond to dietary modification (low fat intake) and regular aerobic exercise.
For the non-responders to these interventions and for those who are considered high risk, drug intervention may be required=.
The role of HDL or good cholesterol needs to be emphasized as well.
HDL is involved in the so-called reverse cholesterol transport where it plays a role in the transporting bad cholesterol (LDL-cholesterol_ form blood vessel wall back to the liver for excretion.
TIPS FOR A HEALTY HEART (part 3)
They have slight blood pressure elevation, impaired fasting blood glucose, dylipidyenia and abdominal obesity.
Clustering of these abnormalities in one individual gives him 2-4 times the risk of developing CVD.
Tips for healthy heart are therefore directed at addressing the modifiable risk factors.
Fortunately, lifestyle modification can correct most of the risk mentioned.
Diet and exercise are know to have beneficial effects on hypertensive ( Both systolic and diastolic), obesity ( through burning of calories) and duslipidemia and elevated blood sugar ( through insulin effect).
Nicotine from cigarette smoke is addicting and has deleterious effect on the cardiovascular system.
It causes blood vessels to constrict, aggravates hypertension and triggers chest pain in those with established coronary artery disease.
Chronic obstructive lung disease and lung cancer are the other non-cordiac sequelea of chronic smoking.
Avoidance of smoking and smoking cessation are advised to those who are addicted to nicotine to gain or regain the benefits from nicotine abstinence.
TIPS FOR A HEALTY HEART (part 2)
They have slight blood pressure elevation, impaired fasting blood glucose, dylipidyenia and abdominal obesity.
Clustering of these abnormalities in one individual gives him 2-4 times the risk of developing CVD.
Tips for healthy heart are therefore directed at addressing the modifiable risk factors.
Fortunately, lifestyle modification can correct most of the risk mentioned.
Diet and exercise are know to have beneficial effects on hypertensive ( Both systolic and diastolic), obesity ( through burning of calories) and duslipidemia and elevated blood sugar ( through insulin effect).
Nicotine from cigarette smoke is addicting and has deleterious effect on the cardiovascular system.
It causes blood vessels to constrict, aggravates hypertension and triggers chest pain in those with established coronary artery disease.
Chronic obstructive lung disease and lung cancer are the other non-cordiac sequelea of chronic smoking.
Avoidance of smoking and smoking cessation are advised to those who are addicted to nicotine to gain or regain the benefits from nicotine abstinence.