Saturday 29 September 2012

World Heart Day: 5 Steps To A Healthy Heart



Cardiovascular diseases are the World's largest killers, claiming 17.3 million lives a year. Risk factors for heart disease and stroke include raised blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels, smoking, inadequate intake of fruit and vegetables, overweight, obesity and physical inactivity.



Follow the tips given below to avoid heart problems and related diseases :-

Spend less time in front of TV: A study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that people who spent more than two hours day on screen-based entertainment, had a 125 per cent increase in risk of heart attacks.

Avoid high fructose foods: HFCs or High-fructose corn syrup, also known as corn sugar, is the most common added sweetener in processed foods and beverages. Although it is chemically similar to table sugar or sucrose, some studies have linked it to increased triglyceride levels, which can boost your heart attack risk.

Quit smoking: Smoking damages the lining of your arteries, and makes it narrower. The carbon monoxide in tobacco smoke reduces the amount of oxygen in your blood making the heart pump harder to supply the oxygen.

Get enough sleep: According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, too little sleep can promote calcium buildup in the heart arteries, leading to the plaques that can then break apart and cause heart attacks and strokes.

Get some exercise: The American Journal of Medicine and the British Heart Foundation second that exercising just for half an hour every day, cuts down your chances of dying of a heart attack by 60 per cent.



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