Reducing the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

Heart disease is the number one killer in the United States. Luckily, there is a lot of information out there about how to reduce the chances that you will ever get heart disease, and if you do already have this, then there are a lot of things that you can do to help improve your health.

 

Some of these tips are common sense. For example, everyone knows at this point that smoking is unhealthy for you. What they might not know is that smoking isn’t just bad for your lungs, but also for your heart. It constricts blood vessels, and makes it more difficult for oxygenated blood to go where it’s supposed to go. Over time, this drastically increases the risk of a blood clot and the chances of a cardiovascular event.

 

Another tip is to keep an eye on cholesterol levels. If you have HDL (Good) cholesterol levels under 40, LDL (Bad) cholesterol levels above 160, and triglyceride levels over 150, you are much more likely to suffer from a heart attack than if you had a healthier cholesterol count. You can work with a doctor to manage cholesterol, but you can’t know these things unless you have bloodwork done

 

Blood pressure is another thing to keep an eye on. Again, a doctor can let you know if this is an area of concern for you, but you can’t figure this out unless you are working with a doctor on a regular basis. There are a lot of great medications that can effectively manage blood pressure and reduce your risk.

 

A trained caregiver an help reduce the risk of a fatal cardiovascular event.

 

Exercise and a good diet are also important components of heart health. Being active for at least 30 minutes a day several times a week and avoiding foods high in fat and cholesterol can go a long way toward reducing the risk of heart disease. A lot of people have questions about what kind of exercise is best for them, but it really depends on what your physical condition is and whether there are any health issues currently impacting your life. Consulting with a doctor that’s familiar with your life and health will help you to make the best possible choices here. Ideally, you want to find something that is fun and that you’ll commit to.

 

For many of our elderly loved ones, cardiovascular disease is a major issue. The complications and difficulties that arise after someone has a stroke or heart attack can be devastating. They can require ongoing supervision and a need for attentive senior care. When a loved one has these needs, it can be overwhelming for the entire family.

 

Good senior care is only a start, though. For example, a caregiver that is trained in emergency preparedness if and when a heart attack occurred could potentially save the life of a family member. That’s one reason why a trained professional caregiver is so important. Anyone can put an ad up on the internet to say they are a caregiver, but not all caregivers have the training and background to effectively help someone in need while they are working.

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