When it comes to heart disease, protecting the health of your heart is more important than ever before. Recent studies found heart disease remains the leading cause of death for Americans.
Roughly 600,000 people in the U.S. alone die from heart disease every year. This translates to one out of every four people in the country!
But the good news is when it comes to reducing your risk of heart disease, there are several things you can do right now that can provide years of benefits.
Start with these easy tips and lifestyle changes ensure your heart is protected from heart disease, stroke, and heart attack for years to come.
1. Get Screened
Many people undergo a standard cholesterol test at the doctor’s office during an annual physical or routine exam, but this simple test doesn’t always tell the whole story. Your best bet for understanding your risk for heart disease is to schedule an Advanced Cardiovascular Screening with the Lamkin Clinic.
This comprehensive and detailed test will look at the underlying metabolic, genetic, and other silent risk biomarkers for cardiovascular disease, and will give you a clear picture of your risks, and what you can do to stay healthy.
Learn more about this service that is readily offered by the Lamkin Clinic at https://lamkinclinic.com/advanced-cardiovascular-screening/.
2. Eliminate Trans Fats
It’s perfectly fine to indulge in fatty foods on occasion, but the key is to watch the type of fats you are consuming. Saturated, polyunsaturated, and unsaturated fats are all critical components of your diet and are fats that your body needs, but trans fat is a different story altogether.
Trans fats can clog your arteries and raise your bad cholesterol levels while lowering your good cholesterol levels. So read the labels of your food, and avoid any fare that is high in trans fats.
3. Avoid Smoke
Smokers know that if they quit, they automatically reduce their risk for heart disease, but avoiding secondhand smoke whenever possible can do a world of good for your heart as well! Recent studies have found that secondhand smoke exposure can increase your risk of developing heart disease by 25-30%, so keep smoke well away from you whenever possible.
4. Move Around
Recent research has found that sitting or staying in one position for long periods can increase your risk of heart disease. In fact, one study found people who sit throughout the day had up to a 147% increase in cardiovascular events.
So if you want to keep your heart healthy, get moving! If you have an office job, try to stand up and stretch at least once an hour to keep your heart going strong.
5. Get Sleep
Sleep is essential for your body to function properly in a limitless number of ways, and if you’re not getting the sleep you need, then your heart could suffer as a result. Obstructive sleep apnea, which affects millions of Americans, is a common culprit when it comes to a high risk of cardiovascular disease, as the continual, restless nights puts added strain on your heart’s ability to function daily.
6. Ditch Stress
Stress doesn’t just hurt your mood and your cognitive abilities – it can hurt your heart as well. This is because when you are stressed, your body releases hormones that make your heart beat faster, and your blood vessels constrict, or become narrower, which in turn raises your blood pressure. And when this occurs, your risk for a heart attack or stroke naturally climbs higher as well.
7. Discover Your Genetics
Your family history plays a role in your risk for high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. The prominence of this role can vary from individual to individual.
Simply put, if you have family members who have been diagnosed with heart disease or who have suffered from heart-related issues – like a stroke, heart attack, or high blood pressure – then it’s worth taking a closer examination of your own risk.
8. Look at Your Diet and Lifestyle
Several substances and foods can have a huge impact on your risk for cardiovascular disease. This includes:
- High-fat foods and fatty meats
- Unrefined carbohydrates such as sugar
- Alcohol consumption
- Smoking and tobacco use
- Unhealthy habits
Effects from any of the above can also linger for a long time too, increasing your risk for cardiovascular disease long after you’ve made healthy lifestyle changes.
9. Be Proactive
The bottom line is you should never assume your risk for cardiovascular disease is low simply because your cholesterol levels are in a normal range. Instead, be proactive about your heart health by scheduling an Advanced Cardiovascular Screening.
This in-depth screening goes miles beyond the standard cholesterol tests and instead uses a uniquely comprehensive risk-assessment method which factors in diagnostics and lab work, and which can provide early detection of underlying metabolic, genetic, and other overlooked and subtle risk biomarkers for cardiovascular disease.
10. Contact Us
Ready to protect your heart for years to come? Learn more about this essential screening – and how you can make an appointment – at https://lamkinclinic.com/cse-2-advanced-cardio-metabolic-and-genetic-screening/.
Remember, knowing about your risk and taking appropriate next steps is the best thing you can do to protect your heart health for years and years.
At the Lamkin Clinic, we have the tools available to help you every step of the way– from effective screening to nutritional services and medical weight loss plans. So contact us today, and let’s work together to keep you healthy and happy from the inside out.