Top Tips To Prevent Heart Disease

“Heart Disease” can refer to a variety of different heart conditions, which can potentially lead to a “Heart-Attack”. In the United States, the leading cause of death in both genders is heart disease. It is so common that, every 36 seconds, one person in the United States succumb to a cardiovascular disease.

So how can you lower your risks of developing a heart disease and live a healthier and longer life? Read on to find out tips and things you can do to minimize such risks.

Understand Your Risk Level

There are multiple factors that determine your risk level of developing a heart disease, such as age, family history and existing medical health conditions. Other habitual factors include the frequency of drinking or smoking. By identifying the risk level you are at beforehand, it is easier to come up with a plan to stay healthy.

Physical Fitness

Staying physically active goes a long way and provides multiple benefits other than reducing your chances for heart disease. As a general rule of thumb, adults are encouraged to get at least a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate physical activity or 75 minutes of intense physical activity every week.

Healthy Diet Plan

This goes without saying. Many types of foods are known to be culprits that attributes to a higher risk of heart diseases. These include full-fat milk, organ meats such as liver, bacon, spareribs and much more. Although these foods are delicious and might even be nutritious in certain aspects, overeating these types of food can easily cause heart diseases. Instead, you should focus your diet on fruits, whole grains, vegetables, and plant-based proteins. For meats, try to stick to fish and lean meat.

Quit Smoking

If you happen to be a frequent smoker, you are at a much higher risk of heart disease. In fact, your chances of experiencing a heart attack are twice as much as someone who does not smoke. Firstly, smoking damages the heart and blood vessels. The human heart relies on oxygen and nutrients from coronary arteries and other branches. When these arteries are congested, the flow of blood is inevitably reduced, and the heart has to pump faster to get the necessary oxygen to the rest of the body.

Cigarette smoke contains nicotine which increases blood pressure and makes heart work harder. It also contains carbon monoxide, which Is basically a poisonous gas that replaces oxygen in the blood, reducing the ability of hemoglobin to carry oxygen around effectively. Lastly, cigarette smoke contains tar, which fills the lung with soot and make it harder for you to breathe.

Since inadequate oxygen flow leads to increase in blood pressure and eventually risk of heart disease, it is important to track your oxygen levels and ensure that it stays in the healthy range. One simple way you can use to start tracking your oxygen levels is through the use of a fingertip pulse oximeter from LOOKEE® Tech.

Should you have any concerns or questions about pulse oximeters and perfusion index, contact us and we will be more than happy to assist you!