| By :
Michel Maling
To avoid having heart problems, you need to modify your lifestyle in a couple of ways, before it is too late. Women tend to worry more about cancer, but believe it or not heart disease kills thousands more women each year than cancer. Here are some tips for making necessary changes in your life to avoid becoming the next heart attack victim. Watch your Weight If you are overweight, and especially if you carry your weight around your middle, you have a higher risk of developing heart disease. Know your Cholesterol Levels Your cholesterol levels should be 5 or below. Monitor your health by getting your cholesterol checked at least once a year. Know your Blood Pressure Your blood pressure should not be higher than 140/85. If it is higher than this you need to make lifestyle changes before you develop high blood pressure which in turn will cause your heart to beat less effectively. Although high blood pressure has no symptoms, if it is high it will significantly increase your chances of having a heart attack. Stop Smoking If you are a smoker you are almost twice as likely to have a heart attack. Smoking is also bad for those around you, as it is believed that non smokers that live with smokers have an increased risk of having a heart attack. Stop that binge Drinking Not more than a drink a day they say. There are benefits to having a glass a day, but more than this can prove deadly. Family History If you have a family history of heart disease, you are at an increase risk. Although you can't change family history, you can reduce your risk significantly by following a healthier lifestyle. Exercise More A healthy heart needs at least five thirty minute sessions a week of exercise. Your heart is a muscle and will benefit with exercise. You are never to old or unfit to start an exercise routine. Your risk of heart disease starts to decrease as soon as you get more physically active. In a nutshell, you need to also boost the health of your heart by doing the following: Eat lots of fruit and vegetables Walk instead of drive Don't eat too much saturated fat as this causes cholesterol Don't eat too many trans fats like biscuits and doughnuts. Stop with the heavy drinking and chain smoking. By looking after your body, you will not only be healthier, but also feel better and have more energy to achieve the things that you want for yourself in life.
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