HEALTH GUIDE

Both for men and for women the main factors contributing to heart disease:

1. Smoke
2. High Blood Pressure
3. High cholesterol
4. Family history
5. Age

Take a moment to assess your lifestyle, your family medical history and health status in general. With this information, you and your family doctor can assess your risk and make a plan to avoid potential problems. Although you can not do much about your family history or your age, you can make changes in your lifestyle to avoid many of the other risk factors (see below).

Do not smoke. Smoking is one of the major risk factors for heart disease in women. More than half of heart attacks in women under age 50 are related to smoking. If you stop smoking, within two years can reduce a third of their risk of having a heart attack. Women who smoke and use birth control pills (for antenatal care) increase their risk even more. There are various products that can help you stop smoking. You can try with skin patches (to put on the skin), nicotine gum or nicotine, these medicines are available without a prescription. There are also medications available that are obtained with a prescription that can help you stop smoking. Ask your doctor about which is the best way for you to quit smoking. Breathing smoke from someone else’s cigarette smoke is also bad for your heart and lungs. If you live with someone who smokes, encourage him so that he or she quit smoking.

Control your blood pressure (blood). Getting treatment for high blood pressure can lower your risk of having a heart attack and stroke. Eating a healthy diet, losing weight and exercising regularly are ways to control high blood pressure. Reduce the amount of salt you consume can also help. If these steps do not help lower your blood pressure, your doctor may recommend medicine for you to take.

Control your cholesterol level. If you do not know your cholesterol level, ask your doctor to check it. Having a selective screening test (screening) is recommended for women 45 years or older who have any other risk factors associated with heart disease. A healthy diet is a key part in reducing high cholesterol levels. However, some people may have to take medicine in addition to changes in diet and exercise.

Maintain a healthy weight. Extra weight makes your heart and arteries have to work harder. Exercise and a diet low in fat can help you lose weight. Being overweight means that you have a higher risk for many other health problems, especially diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. If you’re overweight, talk to your doctor about a safe and effective weight loss.

Exercise regularly. Remember, your heart is a muscle. It needs regular exercise to stay fit. Aerobic exercise such as brisk walking, swimming, jogging or biking, gives your heart the best workout. When exercising indoors you can also use fitness equipment such as bikes, electric bands (called endless) and ski machines. Find a buddy to exercise may make it easier and safer for you to exercise regularly. Try to make at least 30 to 60 minutes four to six times a week. Talk to your doctor before starting an exercise program.

Eat a diet low in fat. Keep fat calories to 30% or less of total calories you eat during the day and avoid saturated fats such as fat in meats and dairy products. Information is available to help you make healthy choices. For example, bring food labels list nutrition information including calories from fat, many cookbooks have heart-healthy recipes, and some restaurants serve dishes low in fat.

Take care of your diabetes. If you have diabetes, regular exercise, weight control, low-fat diet and regular doctor visits are important. If you have to take medicine for diabetes, be sure to take it exactly as your doctor tells you to.
Be aware of chest pain. Be sure to tell your doctor immediately if you have chest pain, shoulder, neck or jaw. Also notify your doctor if you experience shortness of breath or if you suddenly feel sick if you’re having a heart attack, the faster you can get to the hospital the less damage it’s going to do to your heart. Every second counts.

Know your family medical history. Having a father or brother with heart disease before 55 years of age, or a mother or sister with heart disease before 65 years of age, are factors contributing to heart disease . Tell your doctor your family history.

Hypertension is a common health problem in the United States. According to the American Heart Association, one in three adult Americans suffer from hypertension. Better known as high pressure, high blood pressure can pose a serious health risk if left untreated. Increased pressure in the arteries that makes the patient vulnerable to a break with the blood vessels, which can be fatal. While some factors contributing to high blood pressure are unavoidable, others can be minimized, and they are still curable. Knowledge of the causes and consequences of blood pressure can help patients better informed about the risks so they can avoid the stairs.

The causes of hypertension

there are many possible causes of high blood pressure, and often several factors work together and lead to the development of hypertension over time. The following is a list of risk factors that increase the likelihood of a person who has high blood pressure:

* Family history of hypertension (genetic predisposition)
* African American descent (genetic predisposition)
* Age
* Obesity
* Renal failure or renal dysfunction
* A high intake of salt per day
* Oral contraceptives containing drospirenone chemicals

Some of these factors are uncontrollable, but others are avoidable. Watch your weight and the amount of sodium that can be consumed in the diet reduces the risk of developing hypertension. If you are a woman or contemplating birth control, check, talk to your doctor about the risks associated with pills containing drospirenone hypertension are linked. If you already belong to one or more categories of risk of hypertension, may be in your best interest to consider other alternatives for contraception.

Consequences of Hypertension

Although hypertension may be a bit “relieved by medications for high blood pressure may be particularly dangerous if not diagnosed. A patient with uncontrolled hypertension is likely to suffer a heart attack, stroke or kidney disease. Unfortunately, many people suffering from serious health problems were hypertension I was never aware of the disease. “Therefore important that you consult your doctor and your blood pressure regularly. One can easily check minutes to treat high blood pressure saves lives.

If you belong to one of these categories of risk which is known to increase the risk of high blood pressure, ask your doctor about how to minimize the risk of developing hypertension. Especially if you are a woman or a current risk assessment of birth control, it is important that you talk to your doctor about possible side effects of contraceptives containing drospirenone.