Almost 6 million Americans are hospitalized each year due to some type of heart disease. This number may not seem too drastic to many but how about these, every 34 seconds, a person in the United States will die from heart disease. In one day, over 2,500 Americans will die from heart disease. If this doesn’t show you how serious this problem maybe this will, every 20 seconds a person will die of a heart attack. Since 1918, the number 1 killer in the United States is cardiovascular disease. According to researchers and doctors, a man will suffer a heart attack 10 years earlier than a woman.
Those that don’t suffer heart attacks, suffer from strokes. There are many reasons for this problem, some are genetic and others are our habits or patterns in life, such as stress, obesity, etc. There are many ways to help ourselves keep healthy but at times we are so busy we don’t take the time to do anything for ourselves. It is time we stop, take a moment and think about our health. Why wait until it’s too late or we get the scare of our lives. It is in our hands to take control of our health, find ways to improve it and lower our risks of heart disease.
SMOKING
There is no doubt that you have read this before but smoking is the leading cause and accelerator of heart disease. Stop smoking today and reduce your risk of heart disease. Smoking one cigarette alone will triple your risk of heart disease and damage arteries. This speeds up the buildup of cholesterol and plaque.
WATER
Water is always good to drink on a daily basis to keep you hydrated. But did you know that if you drink at least five 8 oz of water a day, it will reduce your chances of a heart attack by 50%? Drinking plenty of water will thin out your blood, reducing the risk of harmful blood clots.
FISH
If you eat at least 5 servings of omega 3 fatty acids found in fish, such as salmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel, etc will reduce their risk of dying or suffering from heart disease. Omega 3 fatty acids help protect the heart.
ROMANCE
Though many will not believe this, making love a few times a week will reduce your risk of heart disease by 50%. This rigorous activity exercises the heart muscle resulting in increased protection of the heart.
OPTIMISM
A study that was done, found that upbeat people have a 50% less chance of suffering from heart disease. Since they are more optimistic and happy, their body produces less artery damaging stress hormones.