BASIC ROUTINES TO MAINTAIN A HEALTHY HEART

he heart is the engine of our body. If we take care of it by controlling the risk factors, we will be able to reduce the first cause of death in the world by a very high percentage. It is the goal set by the World Heart Federation, which hopes that in 2025 we have managed to reduce by 25% the number of premature deaths caused by cardiovascular disease. To achieve this, this year we celebrate World Heart Day by remembering the importance of six basic routines to maintain a healthy heart.

• Balanced diet, the key. What we eat influences our body in such a way that following a healthy and balanced diet is the first measure to take to control risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes or high cholesterol levels. Consume preferably fresh food, ensure that if we take processed products that are low in saturated or hydrogenated fats (trans) and sugars or do not contain them, replace sweets with fresh fruit including in our diet five servings of fruit and vegetables daily, forget about alcohol or keeping the consumption of alcoholic beverages within the limits recommended by specialists and preparing at home the food that we are going to take to the office to be able to better control what we eat are some of the guidelines of the World Heart Federation.
• Control blood glucose level. Cardiovascular diseases are responsible for 80% of deaths in people with diabetes according to the American Diabetes Association. That is why it is important to control the blood sugar level so that you can receive treatment in case the specialist diagnoses diabetes. If this pathology is not diagnosed and treated in time, the risk of heart and cerebrovascular disease increases.
• Play sports. Staying physically active helps reduce the risk of heart disease. Therefore, including some kind of sport in our weekly routine is vital to take care of our cardiovascular system. Specialists recommend a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate physical activity five times a week.
• Control blood pressure. Hypertension, one of the most common cardiovascular risk factors, is known as the "silent killer." The reason is that it may not produce any warning signal in those who suffer from it, which makes it more dangerous. Hence the importance of checking our blood pressure regularly to rule out episodes that may trigger cardiovascular events.
• Quit tobacco. One of the cardiovascular risk factors that we can avoid is tobacco. Quitting smoking has very positive consequences that are reflected in the short and medium term. Two years after quitting smoking, the risk of coronary heart disease is substantially reduced; at age 15, the risk of CVD is similar to that of a nonsmoker.
• Keep cholesterol levels within the recommended limits. High cholesterol levels are associated with four million deaths a year. Keeping them within the established limits, we avoid the risk of CVD avoiding the formation of atheroma plaques on the wall of the arteries.