Tips to Maintain a Healthy Heart: Lowering Blood Pressure and Cholesterol Levels

Written by Nahir Abdel Nabi

Thursday, June 15, 2023 02:00 AM

There are some prevention tips to maintain a healthy heart:

A low-fat, high-fiber diet is recommended, which should include plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables (5 servings per day) and whole grains.

You should limit the amount of salt you eat to no more than 6g per day because too much salt will increase your blood pressure. 6g of salt equals about 1 teaspoon.

There are two types of fats: saturated and unsaturated. Foods containing saturated fats should be avoided, as they increase levels of harmful cholesterol in the blood.

Foods that are high in saturated fat include:

Meat pies

-ghee

Ghee – A type of butter often used in Indian cooking

Cakes and biscuits

Foods that contain coconut or palm oil

However, a balanced diet should include unsaturated fats, which have been shown to increase levels of good cholesterol and help reduce any blockages in the arteries.

Foods that are high in unsaturated fats include:

oily fish

avocado

Nuts and seeds

Sunflower, rapeseed, olive and vegetable oils

You should also try to avoid too much sugar in your diet, as this can increase your chances of developing diabetes, which has been shown to greatly increase your chances of developing coronary heart disease.

A combination of a healthy diet and regular exercise is the best way to maintain a healthy weight. Having a healthy weight reduces your chances of developing high blood pressure.

Regular exercise will make your heart and circulatory system more efficient, lower your cholesterol level, and also keep your blood pressure at a healthy level.

Exercising regularly reduces your risk of a heart attack. The heart is a muscle, and like any other muscle, it benefits from exercise. A strong heart can pump more blood around your body with less effort.

Any aerobic exercise, such as walking, swimming, and dancing, makes your heart work harder and keeps it healthy.

Maintain a healthy weight

Your GP or nurse practitioner can tell you what your ideal weight is for your height and build. Alternatively, find out your body mass index (BMI) using our BMI calculator.

-Quit smoking

If you smoke, quitting will reduce your risk of coronary heart disease.

Smoking is a major risk factor for atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). It also causes the majority of coronary artery thrombosis cases in people under the age of 50.

Research has shown that you are up to 3 times more likely to succeed in quitting smoking if you use NHS support alongside stop-smoking medicines, such as patches or chewing gum.

Keep your blood pressure under control

You can keep your blood pressure under control by eating a healthy diet low in saturated fats, exercising regularly and, if necessary, taking medications to lower your blood pressure.

Your target blood pressure should be less than 140/90 mmHg. If you have high blood pressure, ask your doctor to check your blood pressure regularly.

Keep your diabetes under control

You have a higher chance of developing coronary heart disease if you have diabetes. Being physically active and controlling your weight and blood pressure will help manage your blood sugar level.

If you have diabetes, your target blood pressure level should be less than 130/80 mmHg.