Heart Diseases in Young Adults: How to Reduce Heart Attack Risk? Expert Answers

Heart diseases are often referred to as an ailment faced by the older age groups. However, over the past few years, a shift in the average age of heart attacks has been observed where the number of heart attacks among people in the young age group increased by 2% a year between 2000 and 2016. Our heart health is a mirror of our overall health, and poor heart health is linked to other illnesses including diabetes, cholesterol, and liver problems.Also Read – Check Ankle For Heart-Related Diseases: Can it Be a SYMPTOM of Serious Heart Issue? Here’s What we Know

A bad heart is an automatic indicator of an unhealthy body and, sedentary behavior coupled with inactivity are responsible for increasing the risk of cardiac ailments in young adults. Lack of sleep, stress, addiction to drugs or smoking and consuming too many calories are additional causes of heart attacks. Once the condition becomes serious, hospitalization is necessary so that the patient can receive round-the-clock care and be closely monitored for a faster recovery. Also Read – Food For Heart: 5 Healthy Items to Add in Your Diet if You Are Suffering From Any Heart Diseases

Young adults can protect their hearts and assure a healthier future by minimizing risk factors and taking care of their hearts. Dr. Pravin Kahale, Consultant, Cardiology, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai shared few suggestions to reduce the possibility of a heart attack at a young age. Read on! Also Read – Study Reveals Link Between High Cholesterol, Heart Diseases And Its Inconsistency

6 WAYS TO PROTECT YOUR HEART FROM A VERY YOUNG AGE:

Lower your blood pressure: Even mildly elevated blood pressure can eventually cause heart issues. Therefore, having your blood pressure checked at least once a year is crucial.

Avoid smoking: Smoking not only damages the lungs, but it also increases your chance of having a heart attack! Smokers have a two- to four-fold increased risk of developing heart disease.

Manage body weight and diet: The best defenses against obesity and heart disease are a good diet and regular exercise. A diet rich in nutrients with vegetables, fruits, whole grains, poultry, fish and nuts along with at least 150 minutes of physical activity every week can reduce the risk of heart disease.

Understanding the different types of foods that will help us is essential. Processed foods are one of our body’s worst enemies. For example, when deciding between oil and ghee, one shall prefer ghee because oil contains additional processed fats. You should include salads in your diet since they fill you up and contain many vitamins, micro minerals, and antioxidants that are good for your body. Additionally foods heavy in salt are not advised. The DASH diet, which encourages the consumption of vegetables, fruits, lean meats, dairy products, nuts, seeds, and legumes, has been recommended by the WHO (World Health Organization). This diet benefits both our general health and hypertension.

Manage cholesterol levels: The risk of heart diseases increases with high cholesterol levels. The main causes are a diet high in processed foods and sugar. Changes in diet and lifestyle can help lower elevated cholesterol levels.

Manage your workouts: A high protein diet for building muscle with less water intake combined with late nights resets the biological clock and affects metabolism. This increases the risk of blood clots forming in the heart’s arteries, which may lead to a heart attack.

Avoid lack of sleep: The brain and muscles need to rest for at least seven hours each day to rebuild and relieve stress and exhaustion.

The three main elements of staying well and maintaining good health are diet, medication, and exercise. However, we frequently forgo food and exercise in favour of concentrating solely on medication. The way that medicine works and heals a body is through a balanced diet and consistent exercise. Taking care of your heart as a young adult not only protects your heart now but also ensures a healthier future