9 Things you can do to prevent a heart attack or stroke

Cardiovascular problems such as heart attacks or strokes are very common. Surely you know one or more people surround you who have suffered or even died for this. The interesting thing is that most are preventable. Find out what can you do to prevent them.

The best way to prevent cardiovascular problems is understanding what causes them . And it is important to be informed because cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. According to the World Health Organization, 17.5 million people died from heart disease in 2012. This represents 31% of all causes of death. Of these, 7.4 million were caused by disease in the coronary arteries (the arteries of the heart) and 6.7 million were due to stroke (stroke, stroke or stroke) . The good news is that most cardiovascular diseases can be prevented, so there are several things you can do to reduce your risk of suffering. Obviously, the first step is to have the right information and act responsibly in terms of your health.

Of course, there are certain factors that can increase our risk of diseases such as heart attacks  or strokes   that are not in our hands, I mean genetics. If we have the genetic predisposition (ie, through the genes) of cardiovascular problems, we can lower your chances with our actions, but not totally avoided. On the other hand, our way of life depends on us and that can significantly influence if we develop a heart attack or stroke. What do I mean? What we eat, whether we exercise, whether or not we smoke, if we maintain a healthy weight, if we take alcohol in excess or not, if we control our stress levels, blood pressure, sugar and cholesterol in the blood, etc. . etc.

Q. Sol now the question is how can you protect your heart and prevent cardiovascular problems ?
Here I give 9 specific things yourself which you can do to protect yourself:

1.  Stay informed 

And not just mean the developments of science. This begins with the information in your family. So you know your risk of  the cardiovascular disease and also important to know who in your family has had heart attacks , strokes and at what age. Or, if they had any procedure coronary angioplasty "stents" or  bypass (bypass) to prevent a heart attack. And who has had high blood pressure, diabetes and / or high cholesterol?

2.   Avoid smoking 

If you smoke, try to quit . It is not healthy and smoking is the root of many diseases. Also, try to avoid exposure to secondhand smoke .

3.  Try to lead a healthy diet 

Selecting fruits and vegetables, whole grains, limiting saturated fats and trans (selecting healthy fats like olive, canola, nuts, seeds and avocados); choosing fatty fish high in omega 3), lean meats, poultry and dairy nonfat or low-fat. And do not forget legumes such as beans or beans and limit the amount of salt.

4.  Try to maintain a healthy weight 

 Limits the size of your portions. Obesity contributes not only to cardiovascular disease but other chronic problems such as diabetes, arthritis, sleep apnea and depression. And remember that physical activity helps you achieve this goal.

5.   Try to stay active 

Try to incorporate exercise into your daily life. If you do something you like, it is easier to do it regularly. Just walk 2 miles a day could be enough, and you do not have to walk the 2 miles once. Of course, it's better if you can do at least 30 minutes  to 60 minutes of exercise most days.

6.   Check your blood pressure 

If it's high, be sure to control hypertension (high blood pressure) . On a low - salt diet and take medicines prescribed by your doctor. High blood pressure can cause no symptoms and it is important to measure to determine if high and whether is under control.

7.   Check your level of blood sugar

Whether you have prediabetes  or diabetes , both increase your risk of cardiovascular disease. If your diabetes is not controlled and your A1C is above 7, your risk of cardiovascular complications increases that you develop. Many people have no symptoms when your blood sugar is high. It is very important to check at home as directed by your doctor and attend your visits with him or her regularly. But if you do not know your levels of blood sugar and you have 45 years or more or, at any age, if you have the typical symptoms of diabetes (extreme thirst, increased frequency with which you go to the bathroom, very hungry and fatigue) it is important that you review the A1C or fasting blood sugar .

8.   Check your level of blood cholesterol 

As in the case of high blood pressure typically has no symptoms, however, when elevated can be deposited inside the arteries , forming plaques that can get to cover them or a piece of that plaque can break off and can reach clog an artery (a glass) smaller preventing blood flow and cause a heart attack or stroke .

9.   Try to reduce stress

Stress contributes to cardiovascular disease. It makes some hormones that cause us to be able to alert the heart race, in order to be released. This is especially true if the stress is chronic. We all have a certain amount of stress in daily life, but there are things we can do to reduce stress  such as exercise, yoga, try getting enough sleep, spend time with family (obviously if you have a good relationship with your family) have good friends that we have fun and we laugh, learn to meditate. If you can, try to avoid people and situations that cause you stress.