Arizona Tribune - 5 Lifestyle Changes to Help Prevent a Heart Attack

1. Get regular exercise

Physical activity is one of the best things you can do for your heart health. Regular cardiovascular exercise helps strengthen your heart, making it work less hard to pump blood through your body. It also helps you maintain a healthy weight, which can reduce your risk of heart disease. Meanwhile, resistance training can help improve markers of heart health, such as blood lipids and glucose.Both forms of exercise relieve stress and improve sleep, other crucial components of good health.

2. Eat a balanced diet

Eating a balanced diet offers several heart benefits that reduce heart attack risk.First, it helps keep your weight in a healthy range. A healthy weight and body composition is linked to a lower risk of heart attacks and heart disease.Second, a healthy and diverse diet supplies your body with the nutrients it needs to work properly and stay healthy. Your cardiovascular system needs various vitamins and minerals to perform at its best.

Prioritize a diet high in lean meats, vegetables, and whole grains. Minimize sugar-filled sweets or foods with a lot of fat. This kind of diet provides a wide variety of nutrients and helps you feel full without too many calories.

3. Manage stress

Stress doesn't just contribute to lifestyle choices that can increase heart attack risk, such as unhealthy eating or lack of sleep.Chronic stress directly impacts heart attack risk by raising blood pressure, increasing bodily inflammation, and reducing high-density lipids (HDLS), the "good" cholesterol. Healthy stress management strategies are crucial. Some ideas include:

• Regular exercise

• Relaxing hobbies

• Making time for friends and family

• Mindfulness techniques

• Deep breathing techniques

The worry of a future heart attack itself can cause stress both due to the potential health consequences and the financial burden.That's where critical illness insurance can help.Those who wonder, "what does critical illness insurance cover?", should know it covers numerous qualifying illnesses or conditions, including heart attacks. It pays benefits directly to policyholders unless assigned otherwise, to help with gaps in health coverage, living expenses, or helps with lost income from time off work.

4. Get plenty of sleep

Sleep allows your body to rest, recuperate, and repair itself. People who don't get enough sleep tend to have higher blood pressure, more inflammation, and chronic stress.Furthermore, lack of sleep may cause you to lean too heavily on caffeine. Caffeine in moderate amounts is not necessarily bad, but it's a vasoconstrictor, which temporarily narrows blood vessels. Too much caffeine can raise your blood pressure and cause anxiety.

Sleep deprivation also lowers inhibitions and throws your hunger hormones out of whack. This can cause you to crave fatty or sugary foods that are bad for the heart.Prioritize getting seven to nine hours per night. Create a bedtime routine that lets you wind down, decompress, and settle into a relaxing sleep.

5. Visit the doctor regularly

Regular doctor visits help the doctor track your medical information and look for early warning signs of heart attacks so you can make lifestyle changes if needed. In particular, your doctor will take data like your height, weight, blood pressure, and pulse. They may also order blood tests to gather information about your heart health, such as cholesterol levels.Finally, doctors can prescribe medication if needed to improve heart health markers and reduce your risk of heart disease.

The bottom line

The best way to treat a heart attack is prevention, and most prevention entails smart lifestyle choices.That starts with regular exercise and a balanced diet to maintain a healthy weight and strengthen your heart. You should also prioritize sleep and proactively manage and reduce stress. Visit your doctor regularly and follow their directions to supplement your lifestyle changes.Whether you have a family history of heart issues or not, these lifestyle changes can dramatically lower your risk of heart attacks and maintain excellent overall health.

Sources:

¹ Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - Fast Facts: Health and Economic Costs of Chronic Conditions. July 12, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/chronic-disease/data-research/facts-stats/index.html. Accessed July 24, 2024.

² British Heart Foundation - Heart attack significantly increases risk of other health conditions. Updated February 16, 2024. https://www.bhf.org.uk/what-we-do/news-from-the-bhf/news-archive/2024/february/heart-attack-increases-risk-of-other-health-conditions. Accessed July 24, 2024.

Content within this article is provided for general informational purposes and is not provided as tax, legal, health, or financial advice for any person or for any specific situation. Employers, employees, and other individuals should contact their own advisers about their situations. For complete details, including availability and costs of Aflac insurance, please contact your local Aflac agent.

Aflac coverage is underwritten by American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus. In New York, Aflac coverage is underwritten by American Family Life Assurance Company of New York.

Critical Illness/Specified Health Event, A74000 series: In Delaware, Policies A74100DE, A74200DE, A74300DE. In Idaho, Policies A74100ID, A74200ID, A74300ID. In Oklahoma, Policies A74100OK, A74200OK, A74300OK. In Virginia, Policies A74100VA, A74200VA, A74300VA. A73000 series: In Delaware, Policies A73100DE & A7310HDE. In Idaho, Policies A73100ID & A7310HID. In Oklahoma, Policies A73100OK & A7310HOK. In Virginia, Policy A73100VA & A7310HVA. B71000 series: In Delaware, Policies B71100, B71200, B7130H & B7140H. In Oklahoma, Policies B71100OK, B71200OK, B7130HOK & B7140HOK.

Tier One Critical Illness coverage is underwritten by Tier One Insurance Company. Tier One Insurance Company is part of the Aflac family of insurers. In California, Tier One Insurance Company does business as Tier One Life Insurance Company (NAIC 92908).

Critical Illness: In Delaware, Policy T71000. In Oklahoma, Policy T71000OK. In Virginia, Policy T71100VA.

Coverage may not be available in all states, including but not limited to DE, ID, NJ, NM, NY, VA or VT. Benefits/premium rates may vary based on state and plan levels. Optional riders may be available at an additional cost. Policies and riders may also contain a waiting period. Refer to the exact policy and rider forms for benefit details, definitions, limitations, and exclusions.

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CONTACT:

Senior PR & Corporate Communications
Contact: Angie Blackmar, 706-392-2097 or [email protected]

SOURCE: Aflac

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