In the well-known proverb “don’t renounce the sum and the prison”, it would be worth adding “also from cardiovascular diseases”. According to statistics collected for 2016, the mortality rate from heart and vascular diseases in Russia amounted to 619.4 per 100 thousand of the population.
Unsurprisingly, professionals are constantly looking for ways to help people reduce their risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and keep their heart under control. Here are the top 7 simplest and most effective ways to prevent cardiovascular disease without medication, gleaned from recent studies conducted in 2013-2017.
7. Make time for breakfast
Middle-aged adults who skip breakfast regularly (or instead drink coffee or juice) are twice as likely to develop atherosclerosis compared to people who are used to having breakfast. These are data from a study published in July 2013 in the scientific journal Circulation.
Researchers suggest that people without breakfast are often prone to other bad habits, such as smoking, that do not benefit the heart and blood vessels. According to the results of the study, people who did without breakfast were also more likely to be overweight and had bad eating habits.
6. Some alcohol does not hurt
In sixth place in the ranking of the best methods for the prevention of heart disease is a very pleasant way, which, however, should not be abused.
Moderate drinking can be a good preventative measure for some (but not all) heart diseases. This is evidenced by a study conducted in England under the leadership of Stephen Bell, an epidemiologist at the University of Cambridge.
- In the course of the study, scientists analyzed the electronic medical records of nearly 2 million British.
- When the study began, the entire participant was 30 years or more, and none of them had previously experienced any heart problems.
- Over a six-year follow-up period, researchers examined patients' records to see if they had been diagnosed with any of 12 heart problems, including myocardial infarction, heart failure, and chest pain.
- It turned out that men and women who drank moderate amounts of alcohol were less likely to suffer from angina pectoris, stroke, heart failure, and peripheral arterial disease than non-drinkers.
- Researchers consider moderate alcohol consumption to be no more than 14 “units” of alcohol per week. One unit of alcohol is 8 grams of pure alcohol. A glass of wine is about 2 units.
5. Avoid yo-yo diets
The yo-yo effect of dieting is losing weight while restricting oneself in nutrition, and then gaining weight after returning to a normal diet. It can be dangerous not only for the female waist, but also for the heart, especially during menopause.
A study presented at a scientific meeting of the American Heart Association in 2016 found that women aged 55 years and older with a normal body mass index (BMI) but who had weight fluctuations of more than 4.5 kg over ten years may have increased risk of heart disease compared with women who had less weight fluctuations during the same period.
Surprisingly, weight fluctuations do not pose the same danger to the heart of women who already had overweight or obesity during the diet.
Researchers suggest that stable weight is better for a woman’s heart than the fluctuating weight caused by a yo-yo diet. It is not clear whether weight loss and then its recovery will have similar consequences for young women or men.
4. Be kinder
Hostility can have a negative effect on the heart. And a study conducted in 2016 at the School of Medicine at Brown University, USA, helped to reveal the mechanism of this dependence.
- Previously, scientists found that a cynical attitude, along with a general mistrust of other people, is associated with an increased risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, while optimistic and positive people are less likely to suffer from heart pain.
- Researchers have now found that people with a higher level of hostility had lower heart rate variability (the time interval between heartbeats) compared to people with a lower level of hostility.
- Higher heart rate variability is good, the researchers say. This shows that the part of the nervous system that is responsible for accelerating the heart rate and the part that slows it down work in balance
The study also showed that people who are not friendly to others often have other heart risk factors, such as high blood pressure, obesity and high cholesterol, compared to good-natured people.
3. Walk faster
Brisk walking is one of the best remedies for heart health. Middle-aged people who walk slowly are twice as likely to die from heart disease over a 60-year period, compared to those who walk fast. These are the findings of a 2016 study published in the European Heart Journal in 2016.
Presumably, the increased risk of death from CVD in slow walkers is explained by their low level of physical fitness and employment in a profession that is dangerous for the heart and blood vessels.
2. Vaping can be dangerous
Electronic cigarettes are considered a safer alternative for the lungs, but a small study published in the journal JAMA Cardiology suggests that vaping is not safe for the heart.
Researchers found that people who used electronic cigarettes for one year or more had increased adrenaline and signs of oxidative stress in their bodies, which were not seen in people who had never tried electronic cigarettes.
High levels of adrenaline increase blood pressure and heart rate, and oxidative stress can weaken the body's ability to fight free radicals.
One of the drawbacks of this study is that it did not compare the risk of CVD in people who regularly use electronic cigarettes and those who regularly smoke cigarettes.
1. Sleep for at least 6 hours
In the first place in the selection of tips for the prevention of heart disease and blood vessels is the most obvious recommendation. However, many forget about it, because of the hectic rhythm of life.
A study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association claims that people sleeping less than 6 hours at night develop a condition known as metabolic syndrome. Because of it, people who sleep deprived are twice as likely to die from heart disease or stroke, compared to people without metabolic syndrome.
Metabolic syndrome is a group of symptoms - including a high body mass index and high cholesterol - which increase a person’s risk of developing CVD and type 2 diabetes.
