Eat a heart-healthy diet
Studies have shown that the DASH diet, or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, can lower blood pressure, particularly moderately high levels. The diet encourages cooking with less salt, eating more fruits and vegetables, low-fat or non-fat dairy products, such as cheeses and yogurt, and at least three whole grain foods a day.
As a registered dietitian and American Heart Association spokeswoman, Ronni Litz Julien, points out that today there are lots more do's than don'ts. She tells clients to get a tablespoon of olive oil a day, either with sautéed vegetables or a salad, which can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Oatmeal contains soluble fiber, which reduces your low-density lipo-protein (LDL), the "bad" cholesterol. Soluble fiber is also found in such foods as kidney beans, Brussels sprouts, apples, pears, psyllium, barley and prunes. Soluble fiber appears to reduce the absorption of cholesterol in your intestines. Gel-like soluble fiber binds bile (which contains cholesterol) and dietary cholesterol so that the body excretes it. Five to 10 grams of soluble fiber a day decreases LDL cholesterol by about 5 percent. Eating 1.5 cups of cooked oatmeal provides 4.5 grams of fiber - enough to lower your cholesterol. To mix it up a little, try oat bran or cold cereal made with oatmeal or oat bran.
Nuts are also a source of heart healthy fats, so eat four to five ounces each week. Studies have shown that walnuts can significantly reduce blood cholesterol. Rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, walnuts also help keep blood vessels healthy and elastic. Almonds appear to have a similar effect, resulting in a marked improvement within just four weeks.
A cholesterol-lowering diet in which 20 percent of the calories come from walnuts may reduce LDL cholesterol by 12 percent. For a 1,200-calorie per day diet, a little less than 1/3 of a cup of walnuts is about 240 calories, or 20 percent of the total calories for the day. All nuts are high in calories, however, so a handful will suffice. As with any food, good or bad, eating too much can cause weight gain, and being overweight places you at higher risk of heart disease. To avoid gaining weight, replace foods high in saturated fat with nuts. For example, instead of using cheese, luncheon meat or croûtons in your salad, add a handful of walnuts or almonds.
Avoid inflammatory foods such as trans-fats, deep-fried, and cut out fatty foods, eat leaner meat in smaller portions. You should adopt diet rich in organic vegetables, fruit and grains help keep off unwanted pounds as excess weight which, in turn, increases your body's production of inflammation-causing substances. Check out the diet section on the Heart and Stroke Foundation's website, if you feel doubt.
High carbohydrate diets have also been shown to worsen triglyceride levels, especially when the carbohydrates consumed are sugary or refined. Moderate amounts of slower-digesting carbohydrates such as oatmeal, beans, vegetables, yogurt and most fruits have been shown to lower triglycerides when compared to equal amounts of rapidly digested carbohydrates from regular soda, sugary cereal, or other highly processed starches.
Consider drinking green tea regularly to reduce the chance that plaque will form on your arteries walls. The antioxidants in green tea have shown in studies to relax blood vessels as well. Try to work in a cup to replace some of your morning coffee, or drink it chilled for lunch or dinner. One to two cups daily is the recommended amount, and may also have the added benefit of raising your metabolism.
Get the latest health screening... regularly
Health screenings evaluating a person's risk factors, from cholesterol and blood pressure levels to family history of heart disease, can play a big role in heart attack prevention, says Dr. Boyd Lyles, medical director of U.S. Preventive Medicine.
A study reported in the New England Journal of Medicine found that this blood test is twice as effective as a standard cholesterol test in predicting heart attacks and strokes. It measures the levels of a specific blood protein that indicates that you have inflamed heart arteries--the kind that rupture and cause heart failure.
Check your blood pressure every year, and your cholesterol, too, if you are at high risk or over 50. If blood pressure or cholesterol ratings are high, get them under control. Diet, exercise and, if necessary, medication, should do the trick. "Talk to your doctor and be sure you understand what normal blood pressure and cholesterol are for you," Dr. Abramson urges. "Know the numbers, write them down, and take control."
Cardiologists at Johns Hopkins Medicine say your total cholesterol, which breaks down into LDL and high-density lipo-protein (HDL), should be less than 200 mg/dL. Your target level of LDL, or bad cholesterol, will depend on how many heart attack risk factors you have. Eating oatmeal and walnuts may help, but if you cannot meet your goal after three to nine months, consider drug therapy. Your level of HDL or good cholesterol should be above 40. He recommends keeping your blood pressure less than 140/90 mm Hg. (A rate of less than 120/80 mm Hg is optimal, and people with diabetes or kidney disease should aim for less than 130/80 mm Hg.)
