Know All Your Numbers
Don’t rely on your doctor to keep track of your numbers — they don’t do much good sitting in a medical file drawer. Every time you have your blood tested, write down your numbers; there’s nothing more motivating than results! Work with your doctor to set goals for each of the following tests: blood pressure, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, cholesterol ratio (total cholesterol divided by HDL cholesterol), and triglycerides.
Quit Smoking
Quit Smoking
If you smoke, quit! Smoking makes all heart-health indicators worse: It causes inflammation — not just in your lungs but throughout your entire body — which can contribute to atherosclerosis, blood clots, and risk of heart attack. And if you have high cholesterol, high triglycerides, or high blood pressure, smoking magnifies the danger.
Focus on Losing Extra Weight
Focus on Losing Extra Weight
Body fat produces and secretes hormones, including inflammatory chemicals that play a key role in the development of atherosclerosis. In addition, being overweight increases blood pressure and LDL cholesterol and decreases HDL cholesterol. Even if your cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and other cardiovascular indicators are in the normal range, obesity is recognized as an independent risk factor for heart disease. And every little bit of weight loss helps. Research has shown that losing just 10 pounds can reduce LDL cholesterol by 5 to 8 percent.
Become More Physically Active
Become More Physically Active
Even moderate exercise can help improve cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure. If you are relatively healthy and cleared for exercise, the American Heart Association recommends a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise such as brisk walking, at least 5 days per week. If you haven’t exercised regularly (or at all) for years, start slowly: Try walking at an easy pace for 15 minutes a day, five days a week, and gradually work your way up to at least 30 minutes each day. (Always get clearance from your doctor before beginning an exercise program.)
Follow a Heart- Heathy Diet
Follow a Heart-Healthy Diet
A heart-healthy diet means avoiding trans fats, limiting saturated fat, dietary cholesterol, refined carbohydrates, and salt, while adding foods rich in fiber, monounsaturated and omega-3 fats, calcium, vitamin D, magnesium, and potassium. I know you’re probably sick of hearing advice about eating plenty of vegetables and fruit, but it really is important, especially for those fighting cardiovascular disease. People who eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily have a reduced risk of heart attack and stroke compared with people who eat fewer than three servings daily. Specifically, heart-attack risk is about 15 percent lower, and stroke risk is about 30 percent lower.
Control Your Blood Sugar
Control Your Blood Sugar
If you also have diabetes, it’s vital that you control your blood sugar. Uncontrolled blood sugar can increase your risk of coronary artery disease, heart attack, and stroke, so part of your heart care must be diabetes care. (For more information about nutritional advice for diabetes, see my section on how to Manage Type 2 Diabetes.)
Ask About Iron and Thyroid Levels
Ask About Iron and Thyroid Levels
Though the connections are less commonly reported than other heart-health hazards, be aware that heart disease risk can also be affected by elevated ferritin (a measure of iron levels in your blood), and high cholesterol can be a side effect of low levels of thyroid hormones. Talk with your doctor about whether you need to have additional testing to measure your iron and thyroid levels.
Know All Your Numbers
Know All Your Numbers
Don’t rely on your doctor to keep track of your numbers — they don’t do much good sitting in a medical file drawer. Every time you have your blood tested, write down your numbers; there’s nothing more motivating than results! Work with your doctor to set goals for each of the following tests: blood pressure, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, cholesterol ratio (total cholesterol divided by HDL cholesterol), and triglycerides.
