- Ischemic heart disease is the leading cause of mortality worldwide.
- Christmas parties pose a risk to heart health from excess food and drink.
- From doing physical exercise to having a complete vaccination schedule, these are some basic tips to avoid heart health problems.
Heart health should be a priority for everyone, but unfortunately it is not. From the change in lifestyle that has occurred in recent decades is that now it is a serious global problem. While the worst is that most cases could be prevented.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), The main cause of mortality on the planet is ischemic heart disease. In fact, it is responsible for 16 percent of all deaths that are registered each year.
Now, especially during the Christmas season, the risks of suffering a heart attack, among other problems, increase. According to Duke University, more cases are recorded during December than in the other months of the year. The festivities of these dates could be the possible answer.
Some celebrations such as the posadas become pretexts to consume food and drinks in excess. While Christmas dinner is a catastrophe because portions are abused without measuring the consequences.
Lifestyle habits to adopt
With this in mind, cardiologist Nadia Fida from Houston Methodist Hospital shares some general tips to follow during December (and the rest of the year) to take care of your heart health.
avoid eating too much
“A little indulgence on a special occasion is fine, what we shouldn’t do is completely abandon our health and healthy habits during the holidays,” says Dr. Fida.
To do physical exercise
Some people take advantage of the December season to go on vacation or simply stay at home. Although it is beneficial to rest the body and mind, you should not fall into the excess of a sedentary lifestyle. The lack of physical activity increases the risks against heart health.
Avoid drinking alcohol
Alcohol produces in the short term:
• Impaired judgment
• Sleep problems
• Negative interaction with some medications, including pain relievers.
• Triggers certain health conditions such as migraines and mood swings.
In the long term, alcohol increases blood fats creating a high risk for developing abnormal blood pressure, cancer, liver disease, chronic pancreatitis, sleep problems, alcoholism and more. It also increases the risk of suicides and accidents.
Reduce stress and anxiety
Family conflicts, travel, shopping, cooking, parties and the associated costs put people under a lot of stress this season.
“Acute and chronic stress contribute to an increase in blood pressure, so it is important to learn how to combat it. There are relaxation techniques such as meditation, deep breathing or yoga that can help.
Have a complete vaccination schedule
During the final part of the year respiratory diseases increase and it is a problem that affects everyone equally. For this reason, a responsibility that any person must abide by is to have a complete vaccination schedule. Especially those related to influenza and Covid-19.
As has been observed over the last couple of years, anyone can develop severe Covid-19 and those with pre-existing cardiovascular disease are at increased risk of mortality.
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