Do you know the age of your heart? Is your heart way older than your real age or is it a couple of years younger? How healthy is your heart?
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| The diagram of a human heart |
Your heart health is a major determinant of how long you will live. Three factors affect your heart age and determine how old your heart is - your weight, your cholesterol numbers and your blood pressure.
Weight:
Maintaining a healthy weight is great for heart health. Excess weight puts a strain on the heart. You can know your weight category and your ideal weight using the Body Mass Index (BMI) calculation. The BMI helps you discover your ideal weight and shows you whether you are underweight, overweight, obese or have a healthy weight. Having a BMI above 25 would put you at risk of serious health problems such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers.
Blood pressure:
Knowing your blood pressure is important for a healthier heart. An elevated blood pressure puts the heart under so much stress, forcing it to pump harder and to grow weaker. It is a silent condition with subtle symptoms that can be easily overlooked or misdiagnosed. If left untreated, it can lead to stroke and heart attack, kidney failure and vision problems. The ideal blood pressure should be 120 over 80 or less. Anything above 140 over 90 is considered high.
High blood pressure can be effectively treated with simple lifestyle changes such as eating a balanced diet, weight control, eliminating salt, caffeine and alcohol from your diet, exercising regularly and effectively managing stress. The only way to know for sure your blood pressure status is through regular checkups.
Cholesterol:
Do you know your cholesterol numbers? If not, then go get tested. People who have high cholesterol levels (more than 7.5 mmol) have a significantly increased risk of developing a heart attack or a stroke. Cholesterol levels can be effectively lowered by eating a healthy, balanced diet and remaining physically active.
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