Several good habits help you take care of your heart health and thus prevent premature aging of the heart.
- Like us, our hearts age over time, but this heart muscle can age more quickly if we don’t take care of it.
- Regular physical activity is one of the good habits that helps take care of our heart.
- Excessive tobacco consumption is seriously detrimental to heart health.
It is possible that our hearts age faster than our chronological age. This premature aging can be linked to different factors such as smoking, family history, being overweight or even diabetes. Doctor Vikas Sunder, cardiologist, revealed several recommendations for taking care of your heart during an interview with the Cleveland Clinic.
Practicing physical activity regularly
Physical exercise has different benefits for our body. Being active helps to strengthen cardiac resistance and distribute oxygen to the different organs. In France, it is recommended to move for thirty minutes a day, whether by walking, doing crafts or gardening, and to do two sessions of more intensive physical activity per week. In this context, you can do 30 to 45 minutes of running, swimming or cycling twice a week.
Pay attention to chronic illnesses
Premature aging of the heart can result from unbalanced chronic diseases such as diabetes or high blood pressure. It is therefore recommended to carry out regular examinations and follow the instructions of your doctor in the event of a chronic condition.
Maintain a good diet
Just like sporting activity, diet plays a key role in heart health. It is therefore better to avoid eating prepared meals high in fat every day. To be in good shape, it is advisable to have a balanced and varied diet. You can therefore prepare dishes with seasonal fruits as well as vegetables, and good protein intake (eggs, meat, fish, etc.).
Reduce your tobacco consumption
Tobacco harms the proper functioning of our heart. However, quitting smoking can be difficult to implement. As part of this process, you can seek advice from your general practitioner or turn to a tobacco specialist.
Limit alcoholic beverages
Excessive alcohol consumption has serious consequences for heart health. In particular, it can increase the risks of high blood pressure, cardiomyopathy and stroke. Reducing your consumption of alcoholic beverages therefore improves the quality of life and thus increases life expectancy.
Carry out regular examinations
Doctor Vikas Sunder also advised regular check-ups such as measuring blood pressure, fasting blood sugar or cholesterol to monitor heart health. Even if you don’t have symptoms yet, this helps identify heart problems before they cause serious consequences.
Watch for unusual symptoms
Certain manifestations can alert you to a heart problem. This is particularly the case:
- shortness of breath;
- swelling of the legs;
- chest pain;
- unexplained fatigue;
- heart palpitations;
- of confusion;
- dizziness.
Do not hesitate to consult your doctor if you experience one or more of these signs.