Could Many of the Most Common Cardiovascular Issues Be of Our Own Making?
Cardiovascular issues affects millions of people worldwide.
Serious cardiovascular issues such as heart attack, stroke, congestive heart failure, and atherosclerosis, have become familiar names in many different countries.
Are cardiovascular issues of our own making? The argument could be made that indeed they are, especially if you were to exclude those individuals with hereditary cardiovascular issues such as hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and hyperlipidemia.
Additionally, artery disease which is the evil wizard behind the curtain of many of the most deadly cardiovascular diseases takes a long time to develop, perhaps starting in a person's elementary school years and not becoming a serious medical concern until 30 or 40 years later.
So the simple conclusion is that not only are most cardiovascular issues of our own making but are a byproduct of irresponsible cardiovascular behavior over a long period of time.
How did all this happen? It is hard to say exactly how this came about but what we do know is that certainly diet and lifestyle choices started to become more widespread just about the same time heart disease death rates began to spike.
The most obvious culprit is smoking, with smokers being up to four times more likely to have a heart attack than non smokers.
When smoking in the United States was in its heyday the dangers were not yet known.
In fact, if you have had a chance to watch any of the star studded commercials for the 1950s you know that cigarettes were marketed as a healthy, cool, therapeutic pick me up.
The second most detrimental factor was the emergence and subsequent spread of fast foods restaurants serving high cholesterol, high saturated fat, great tasting foods that were also very convenient and affordable.
Many of us have acquired a taste for these foods over the years, and when we are really hungry the lure just could be too much for us to resist.
The third most detrimental factor has been the emergence of obesity which continues to be a serious problem both in the adult population and in youths.
The fourth most detrimental factor keeping up from of avoiding cardiovascular issues is inactivity, which in many cases is brought about by a busy lifestyle which leaves little time for physical activity.
Self Help Ideas for Overcoming Cardiovascular Issues Now we have an idea as to what are some of the core problems keeping us from achieving cardiovascular health but we have yet to answer what can be done about it.
The solution lies in both our heart and arteries.
Our goal will be to repair any damage to the interior lining of the arteries, decreased any arterial blockage reducing blood flow, take step to remove excess cholesterol from the body, and keep the heart strong.
* Keep your heart strong through exercise: Doctor approved exercise can play a major role in whether your achieve cardiovascular health or not.
When you exercise good cholesterol levels rise and bad cholesterol and triglyceride levels decrease.
But perhaps the most important advantage of consistent daily exercise is it keeps your heart muscle from losing pumping power over time.
* Don't smoke: The reasons are obvious.
You should also keep in mind that second hand smoke has been linked to cardiovascular issues.
* Reduce saturated fat and cholesterol through diet: Cholesterol and high saturated fat consumption are the primary underlying causes behind most heart and artery disease.
A heart healthy diet should consist of no more than 7 percent (16 grams) of calories from saturated fat and no more than 25 percent from cholesterol (around 175 milligrams).
* Lose those extra pounds: Being overweight puts a lot of pressure on the entire cardiovascular system and should not be ignored.
* Eat cold water fatty fish twice a week: Cold water fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, and sardines are all high in heart healthy omega 3 oils.
These oils work to repair the interior lining of the artery and reduce inflammation.
They also have been shown to lower bad LDL cholesterol levels as well.
* 10 grams of soluble fiber daily: Soluble fiber foods such as apples, oatmeal, and bran bind with cholesterol in the intestines and escort it out of the body before it has a chance to clog our arteries.
* Neutralize homocysteine levels: Homocysteines are amino acids that are produced when high protein foods are digested.
The problem is they damage the interior lining of the arteries making it easy for arterial plaque to accumulate.
Vitamins B12, B6, and folic acid has been shown to neutralize the threat and should be consumed through diet or supplementation.
Serious cardiovascular issues such as heart attack, stroke, congestive heart failure, and atherosclerosis, have become familiar names in many different countries.
Are cardiovascular issues of our own making? The argument could be made that indeed they are, especially if you were to exclude those individuals with hereditary cardiovascular issues such as hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and hyperlipidemia.
Additionally, artery disease which is the evil wizard behind the curtain of many of the most deadly cardiovascular diseases takes a long time to develop, perhaps starting in a person's elementary school years and not becoming a serious medical concern until 30 or 40 years later.
So the simple conclusion is that not only are most cardiovascular issues of our own making but are a byproduct of irresponsible cardiovascular behavior over a long period of time.
How did all this happen? It is hard to say exactly how this came about but what we do know is that certainly diet and lifestyle choices started to become more widespread just about the same time heart disease death rates began to spike.
The most obvious culprit is smoking, with smokers being up to four times more likely to have a heart attack than non smokers.
When smoking in the United States was in its heyday the dangers were not yet known.
In fact, if you have had a chance to watch any of the star studded commercials for the 1950s you know that cigarettes were marketed as a healthy, cool, therapeutic pick me up.
The second most detrimental factor was the emergence and subsequent spread of fast foods restaurants serving high cholesterol, high saturated fat, great tasting foods that were also very convenient and affordable.
Many of us have acquired a taste for these foods over the years, and when we are really hungry the lure just could be too much for us to resist.
The third most detrimental factor has been the emergence of obesity which continues to be a serious problem both in the adult population and in youths.
The fourth most detrimental factor keeping up from of avoiding cardiovascular issues is inactivity, which in many cases is brought about by a busy lifestyle which leaves little time for physical activity.
Self Help Ideas for Overcoming Cardiovascular Issues Now we have an idea as to what are some of the core problems keeping us from achieving cardiovascular health but we have yet to answer what can be done about it.
The solution lies in both our heart and arteries.
Our goal will be to repair any damage to the interior lining of the arteries, decreased any arterial blockage reducing blood flow, take step to remove excess cholesterol from the body, and keep the heart strong.
* Keep your heart strong through exercise: Doctor approved exercise can play a major role in whether your achieve cardiovascular health or not.
When you exercise good cholesterol levels rise and bad cholesterol and triglyceride levels decrease.
But perhaps the most important advantage of consistent daily exercise is it keeps your heart muscle from losing pumping power over time.
* Don't smoke: The reasons are obvious.
You should also keep in mind that second hand smoke has been linked to cardiovascular issues.
* Reduce saturated fat and cholesterol through diet: Cholesterol and high saturated fat consumption are the primary underlying causes behind most heart and artery disease.
A heart healthy diet should consist of no more than 7 percent (16 grams) of calories from saturated fat and no more than 25 percent from cholesterol (around 175 milligrams).
* Lose those extra pounds: Being overweight puts a lot of pressure on the entire cardiovascular system and should not be ignored.
* Eat cold water fatty fish twice a week: Cold water fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, and sardines are all high in heart healthy omega 3 oils.
These oils work to repair the interior lining of the artery and reduce inflammation.
They also have been shown to lower bad LDL cholesterol levels as well.
* 10 grams of soluble fiber daily: Soluble fiber foods such as apples, oatmeal, and bran bind with cholesterol in the intestines and escort it out of the body before it has a chance to clog our arteries.
* Neutralize homocysteine levels: Homocysteines are amino acids that are produced when high protein foods are digested.
The problem is they damage the interior lining of the arteries making it easy for arterial plaque to accumulate.
Vitamins B12, B6, and folic acid has been shown to neutralize the threat and should be consumed through diet or supplementation.
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