Follow Your Heart: Ways to Improve Your Cardiovascular Health

The cardiovascular system controls heart and circulatory functions, making it a vital part of your body’s functioning and overall health. Poor cardiovascular health has several risk factors and can cause a person to develop life-threatening, and even deadly, illnesses.

These can include high blood pressure, stroke, cancer, hypertension, and heart failure. In fact, more than one in three adults (around 85.6 million) live with one or more types of cardiovascular diseases.

Things That Contribute to Cardiovascular Health

Cardiovascular fitness is determined by several risk factors, including blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglycerides.

  • Blood pressure: Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of arteries. More commonly known as hypertension, high blood pressure puts you at risk for developing diseases that affect the heart, kidneys, and brain.
  • Cholesterol: Cholesterol is white, waxy fat that occurs naturally in the body, builds cell walls, and produces certain hormones. Too much of it can clog your arteries and eventually choke off the blood supply to your heart.
  • Triglycerides: Triglycerides are the chemical form of fats in food. The body absorbs the fat through the lining of the intestines, and that fats play an important role in metabolism and energy levels. Excessive levels of triglycerides in the bloodstream have been linked to increased risk of stroke, heart disease, and diabetes.

How Can You Protect Your Heart?

You can improve your cardiovascular health by using both preventative and corrective measures to do so. Schedule annual physicals or checkups with your doctor. Request regular blood pressure readings, cholesterol screenings, and blood tests to determine triglycerides levels. You can prevent or control symptoms related to poor cardiovascular health by making healthy lifestyle choices including:

  • Eat healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, poultry, nuts, and low-fat dairy products
  • Eliminate or reduce salt and sodium intake
  • Stay physically active
  • Avoid smoking tobacco and consuming drugs or alcohol
  • Take medications that reduce high blood pressure or cholesterol as prescribed by your doctor (if applicable)

At Valiant Living, located in beautiful Centennial, CO, our goal is to help you achieve the level of physical, mental, and emotional health that you desire. We specialize in treating co-disorders and strive to provide our clients with comprehensive care that promotes healthy physical and mental health decision-making. If you or someone you love would like more information on how Valiant Living can help you, contact us at (303) 952-5035 today.