Heart Health in Winter: Expert Shares 4 Ways to Keep Your Cardiac Health in Check

Heart Health in Winter: Embracing a healthy lifestyle at any age can prevent heart disease and reduce your heart attack or stroke risk.

Heart Health in Winter: Strokes and heart attacks are more common during the winter months. When the outside temperature drops, the body temperature also drops, pushing the heart to beat faster to keep you warm. Sometimes, people experience or even die from sudden cardiac arrest, the swift and unexpected ending of all heart activity due to extremely heavy workouts. Breathing and blood flow stop within seconds, and the person becomes unconscious and passes away. These conditions can be reversed while living a normal life with simple and effective ways to keep your heart healthy. Dr Dev B. Pahlajani, Interventional Cardiologist shares four ways to keep your heart health in check.

4 WAYS TO KEEP YOUR HEART HEALTH IN CHECK IN WINTER:

1. Keep Your Blood Pressure in Check: A significant risk factor for heart disease is high blood pressure. A blood pressure reading of 140/90 mmHg or higher is generally considered high. When your blood pressure stays within acceptable limits, you reduce your heart, artery, and kidney failure burden by an average of 14.1 years. The heart, arteries, and kidneys work less hard when blood pressure is within healthy ranges. One can use devices like an aneroid monitor, digital monitor, smartwatches with BP monitor, and wearable devices.
2. Maintain Blood Sugar Levels: 65% of individuals with diabetes die from a certain heart condition or stroke. Over time, high blood sugar levels can cause damage to the heart, kidneys, eyes, and nerves. One should try to maintain a blood sugar level of less than 140 mg/dL (7.8 mmol/L) which is normal. If you are 45 years of age or older, you must visit your doctor for a heart health check-up. A person with diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases, levels should also keep a check on blood sugar levels with a glucometer.
3. Strengthen Heart Health: Exercise helps to maintain healthy blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and body weight. Try exercising at a moderate intensity for optimal results and weekly schedule workouts. One can also decide to go for a 30-minute walk daily. This will help you reduce your risk of developing heart disorders.
4. Check Pulse Rate: Measuring heart rate is a simple technique for assessing your health, given that it offers a real-time view of how your heart muscle is working. A normal resting heart rate ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute for most adults. An abnormally high or low resting heart rate may indicate a problem. People use portable EKGs, 7L patches, and smartwatches to measure their heart rates and consult doctors in the comfort of their homes.

All those who are at risk of developing heart disease and its complications have plenty to look forward to thanks to technological advancements that prioritize maintaining heart health.