It would be worth adding to the well-known proverb "do not renounce money from money and from prison" "and from cardiovascular diseases". According to statistics collected for 2016, the mortality rate from diseases of the heart and blood vessels in Russia was 619.4 per 100 thousand population.
It's no surprise that experts are constantly looking for ways to help people reduce their risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and keep their heart in check. Here are the top 7 easiest and most effective ways to prevent cardiovascular disease without drugs, gleaned from the latest research from 2013-2017.
7. Take time for breakfast
Middle-aged adults who regularly skip breakfast (or drink coffee or juice instead) are twice as likely to develop atherosclerosis as those who are used to breakfast. These are the findings of a study published in July 2013 in the scientific journal Circulation.
Researchers suggest that people who do not eat breakfast are often prone to other bad habits, such as smoking, that are not good for the heart and blood vessels. According to the study, people who skipped breakfast were also more likely to be overweight and had poor eating habits.
6. A little alcohol won't hurt
In sixth place in the ranking of the best methods for the prevention of heart disease is a very pleasant way, which, however, cannot be abused.
Drinking alcohol in moderation can be a good prevention for some (but not all) heart disease. This is evidenced by a study conducted in England led by Stephen Bell, an epidemiologist at the University of Cambridge.
- In the course of the study, scientists analyzed electronic medical records of almost 2 million British people.
- When the study began, all of the participants were 30 years old or older, and none of them had previously experienced any heart problems.
- Over a six-year follow-up period, the researchers looked at the patients' records to see if they had been diagnosed with any of 12 heart problems, including myocardial infarction, heart failure, and chest pain.
- It found 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 no more than 14 "units" of alcohol per week to be moderate alcohol consumption. One alcohol unit is 8 grams of pure alcohol. A glass of wine is about 2 units.
5. Avoid a yo-yo diet
The yo-yo effect of the diet is losing weight while restricting yourself in food, and then gaining weight after returning to the usual diet. It can be dangerous not only for a woman's waist, but also for the heart, especially during menopause.
A study presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Session in 2016 found that women aged 55 and older with a normal body mass index (BMI), but who have had weight fluctuations of more than 4.5 kg for ten years, may have an increased risk of developing heart disease compared to women who had less weight fluctuations during the same period.
Surprisingly, weight fluctuations do not pose the same risk to the heart of women who have already been overweight or obese while dieting.
Researchers suggest that a stable weight is better for a woman's heart than the fluctuating weight caused by a yo-yo diet. It is not clear whether losing weight and then regaining it will have similar consequences for young women or men.
4. Be kinder
Hostility can have a negative effect on the heart. And a 2016 study at Brown University School of Medicine, USA, helped uncover the mechanism of this addiction.
- Scientists have previously found that being cynical, along with a general distrust of other people, is associated with an increased risk of heart disease, while optimistic and positive people are less likely to suffer from heart pain.
- The researchers now found that people with higher levels of hostility had lower heart rate variability (the interval between heartbeats) compared to people with lower levels of hostility.
- Higher heart rate variability is a good thing, the researchers say. This shows that the part of the nervous system responsible for speeding up the heart rate and the part that slows it down are working in balance.
The study also found that people who are unfriendly to others often have other heart risk factors, such as high blood pressure, obesity, and high cholesterol, compared to people who are good-natured.
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 of 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 due to their low level of physical fitness and employment in the profession. dangerous for the heart and blood vessels.
2. Vaping can be dangerous
E-cigarettes are considered a safer alternative for the lungs, but a small study published in the journal JAMA Cardiology suggests vaping is unsafe for the heart.
The researchers found that people who used e-cigarettes for one year or more had increased adrenaline and signs of oxidative stress in their bodies, which was not seen in people who had never tried e-cigarettes.
High levels of adrenaline lead to high blood pressure and heart rate, and oxidative stress can impair the body's ability to fight free radicals.
One drawback 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 at least 6 hours
In the first place in the collection of tips for the prevention of heart and vascular disease is the most obvious recommendation. However, many people forget about her, because of the hectic pace of life.
A study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association claims that people who sleep less than 6 hours a night develop a condition known as metabolic syndrome. It makes sleep deprived people twice as likely to die of heart disease or stroke as people without metabolic syndrome.
Metabolic syndrome is a group of symptoms - including a high body mass index and high cholesterol levels - that increase a person's risk of developing CVD and type 2 diabetes.