Atherosclerosis, frequently dubbed "hardening of the arteries," is the number one cause of death in the United States, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute says.
The agency adds these factors can increase your risk of developing atherosclerosis:
- High blood levels of "bad" cholesterol and low levels of "good" cholesterol.
- High blood pressure.
- Smoking.
- Having diabetes.
- Being overweight.
- Not getting enough exercise.
- Eating an unhealthy diet full of fat, cholesterol, sugar or salt.
- Getting older.
- Having a family history of heart disease, especially at an early age.
Health Tip: Choose Heart-Healthy Foods
A heart-healthy diet can help keep blood vessels clear of plaque, and help reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Womenshealth.gov offers these guidelines for a heart-healthy diet:
- Eating plenty of vegetables and fruits.
- Making at least half of your daily grain consumption whole grains. These may include whole-grain barley, brown rice, whole-grain corn and oatmeal.
- Eating low-fat dairy foods, such as yogurt, cheese and milk.
- Getting lots of nuts and dry beans, lean meat, fish and poultry without the skin.
- Favoring polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats via vegetable oils, fish and nuts.
- Avoiding: saturated and trans fats, sodium (salt), cholesterol and added sugars.
No comments:
Post a Comment