Tips for Prevention of Heart Attack and Stroke

The dos for the prevention of Heart Attack and Stroke are as follows:

1.    Stop using tobacco

·         The benefits of quitting / Stopping tobacco use at any age results in health benefits right away. It will reduce your chances of having a heart attack or a stroke from the day you stop! It will also reduce your chances of having other health problems, such as cancer and lung disease.

·         There are other benefits to stopping tobacco use:

·         After a few weeks, you will feel less tired and wake up feeling more refreshed. You will have more energy. Your blood circulation will improve within a few weeks, making walking easier.

·         Your sense of taste and smell will improve, so you will be able to enjoy food more.

2.    Improve your diet

·         “Take 5” – Eat five servings of fruit and vegetables each day.  Fruits and vegetables contain substances that help to prevent heart attacks and strokes. They protect blood vessels and heart and brain tissue

·         Avoid salt and salty food

·         Many preserved foods, like pickles and salt fish, contain a lot of salt. In addi-tion, fast food, like French fries, often has a lot of added salt. Prepared foods, such as frozen dinners, can also be very salty.

·         Try not to add salt to your food. A good guideline is to use less than 1 tea-spoon (5 grams) of salt each day.

·         Eat more fibre. Fibre protects against heart attacks and strokes. Sources of fibre include beans, lentils, peas, oats, fruits, and vegetables.

·         Eat at least two servings of oily fish a week

·         Fish oils contain “good” fats called omega-3 fatty acids, such as EPA (eicosapentanoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). They protect people from heart attacks and strokes by preventing blood clots. One serving of fish is about the size of a pack of playing cards. Fish oil supplements are also good.

3.    Limit Alcohol Intake

You do not need to avoid alcohol completely. A man should not drink more than two alcoholic drinks a day. Women should not drink more than one. One drink, or unit, of alcohol, contains about 10 grams of alcohol. That is about one 250-ml bottle of beer, one 100-ml glass of wine, or one 25-ml glass of whisky

4.    Limit fatty foods

All fats are high in energy and will make you gain weight unless you burn them off by staying active. Some fats are more likely to increase your risk of heart attack and stroke. Saturated fats and trans-fats lead to “bad” cholesterol in your blood, and increase your risk of heart disease. Try to restrict your use of these fats. Unsaturated fats are less risky, but they still make you gain weight. You should eat them in moderation.

5.    Stay active and control your weight

If you eat a lot and are not active enough to burn off the calories you take in, you will put on weight. You could even become obese. People who are overweight or obese are at higher risk of heart attacks and strokes. People who are overweight or obese are at higher risk of heart attacks and strokes, especially when they have a lot of excess fat in the waist area and abdomen (stomach area). This is called central obesity. Regular waist measurements are a simple measure of the total fat in your body and of central obesity. Central obesity is said to be present if the waist measurement is 102 cm or more in men, and 88 cm or more in women.

Physical activity lowers the risk of heart attacks and strokes by lowering your blood sugar, blood pressure and blood fats;increasing oxygen levels in your body; helping you lose weight; reducing stress; strengthening your heart, muscles and bones; improving blood circulation; toning the muscles. Try to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity on most days of the week. This does not have to be all at once. It can be spread over the course of the day.

6.    Reduce high blood pressure

Some people have high blood pressure because it runs in the family. Blood pressure also tends to increase with age. But lifestyle factors can also cause high blood pressure or make it worse. These factors include:

·         being overweight or obese;

·         eating too much salt in the diet;

·         drinking too much alcohol.

·         High blood pressure can also be linked to some illnesses, such as kidney disease. Some medicines, such as birth control pills, can increase blood pressure.

7.    Reduce high blood sugar /diabetes

People with high blood sugar levels, or diabetes, have a higher risk of heart attacks and strokes. Diabetes speeds up the development of atherosclerosis – the arrowing and hardening of the arteries that causes heart attacks and strokes. Untreated diabetes can also lead to blindness, kidney failure, nerve damage, leg ulcers and coma. Pregnancy is much more difficult for diabetic women and their babies are more likely to have birth defects.