Science

5 STEPS TO A HEALTHIER HEART.....

By : Sameena Arif	Previous \| Next
Posted on : 01 Feb, 2006	Total Views : 326

5 STEPS TO A HEALTHIER HEART.........

Watching your weight is a good place to start for a healthier heart, but there's plenty more,

Quick! Can you name five things you can do to help your heart keep beating strong for years to come?

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer for both men and women. But research indicates that most heart attacks and other causes of heart disease death could be prevented.

1) Blood Pressure

One of the strongest predictors for heart disease is measured in two numbers -- your blood pressure. You hear the numbers, but do you know what they mean?

The first or top number is systolic blood pressure -- the pressure of blood against artery walls during a heartbeat, when the heart is pumping blood.

The second number is diastolic blood pressure -- the pressure of blood against artery walls between heartbeats, when the heart is filling with blood.

* Normal blood pressure is 119/79 or below
.
* Prehypertension is 120 to 139 (systolic) and/or 80 to 89 (diastolic).

Do these numbers seem a bit lower than you remember? What's considered a normal blood pressure was redefined in May 2003 when guidelines were revised to include a new category -- prehypertension.

Experts recommend that people with prehypertension -- an estimated 45 million men and women -- make heart-healthy lifestyle changes to reduce their risk of blood pressure complications, such as heart disease, stroke, and kidney damage.

2) Cholesterol

Probably the most familiar heart disease risk factor, cholesterol is a type of fat that is an essential nutrient for your body. However, too much cholesterol -- or not enough of the good type of cholesterol -- floating around in your blood increases your risk for hardening of the arteries that can lead to heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.

Cholesterol is considered abnormal when:

* Total cholesterol is 200 or higher.

* HDL or "good" cholesterol level is less than 40

3) Body Mass Index (BMI)

This is an indirect measure of your body fat, a quick way to see if you are overweight. BMI may be overestimated in people with a lot of muscle mass, such as body builders. It may also be underestimated in older people who have very little muscle mass.

BMI uses a person's weight and height to gauge total body fat. You can use WebMD's BMI calculator to determine your BMI.

* A BMI of 18.5-24.9 is ideal.

* A BMI of 25 to 29.9 is overweight.

* A BMI of 30 or more indicates obesity.

* A BMI of 40 or more indicates morbid obesity, which increases a person's risk of death from any cause by 50% to 150%, according to The Cleveland Clinic.

4) Blood Sugar

Overweight and too little exercise -- that's what greatly increases the risk of type 2 diabetes. It's nothing to take lightly because it can lead to heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and even blindness.

A fasting blood sugar test -- after not eating or drinking anything but water for at least 12 hours -- is most commonly used to diagnose type 2 diabetes.

* A normal fasting blood sugar is 100 or less.

* Prediabetes is a fasting blood sugar of 101 to 125.

* A fasting blood sugar of 126 or greater indicates diabetes.

5) Exercise

Yes, you've heard it all before. But we're not talking about an unreasonable commitment here.

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends aerobic exercising three to five days a week for 30 to 45 minutes. This doesn't mean strapping on the leotards and joining others in the gym. Exercise that strengthens the heart comes in all shapes and sizes -- biking, swimming, and jogging, to name a few.

"Walking is perfectly fine," says Crouch. "Anything is better than nothing, but 30 minutes a day is what we recommend."

Written By : Sameena Arif

Visit personal website of Sameena Arif

Rate

Excellent

Very Good

Good

Average

Poor

Contribute | Email to Friend | Post Comments | Contact Author

Rating :

Previous Entry : Easy Does It!
Next Entry : Most Drugs Manufactured In India Are Not Need For The Treatment

Articles Categories

• Agriculture	• Architectural	• Arts and Entertainment
• Astrology	• Autobiographical	• Automotive
• Beauty and Fitness	• Biographical	• Bollywood
• Business	• Communications	• Computers
• Factual	• Finance	• General
• Historical	• Home and Family	• Humorous
• Inspirational	• Internet	• Legal
• Life	• Miscellaneous	• Natural Health
• Nature	• News	• Patriotic
• Personal Account	• Product Reviews	• Reference and Education
• Relationships	• Religion	• Science
• Self Improvement	• Shopping	• Society
• Spiritual	• Sports	• Story
• Technology	• Traditions and Customs	• Travel and Leisure
• Wildlife

More on WhereInCity.com
Fun & Info.	:	Jokes \| Shayari \| Articles \| Poems \| Stories \| Tongue Twisters \| SMS \| Quotations \| Lyrics \| Recipes \| Personal Pages
India	:	History \| Pincodes \| STD Codes \| ISD Codes \| Lok Sabha \| Indian Railways \| Culture \| \| Freedom Fighters \| Great Indians
Medical	:	Doctors \| Hospitals \| Articles \| Contraception \| Diseases \| Vitamins \| Minerals \| Proteins \| Fats \| Carbohydrates
Astrology	:	Horoscopes \| Vedic Astrology \| Gem Therapy \| Palmistry \| Match Making \| Life Predictions \| Horoscope 2008
Kids	:	Kids Album \| Rhymes \| Baby Names \| Articles \| Learning Centre \| Animals Gallery
Education	:	Study Abroad \| GMAT \| Standardized Tests \| Schools \| Universities
Photos	:	City Photos \| Celebrity Special \| Misc. Photos
Business	:	Yellow Pages \| Classifieds \| Business Pages
Movies	:	Bollywood \| Hollywood \| Tamil \| Telugu \| List
Immigration	:	Canada \| Australia \| New Zealand
Products	:	Cars \| Bikes \| Mobile Phones \| Cameras \| Televisions
New!	:	Stardust Awards 2008 \| IIFA Awards 2008 Nominations