In France, each year, more than 147,000 die ofmyocardial infarction. What you need to know, however, is that a large proportion of these deaths could have been avoided. According to Dr Jean-Michel Lecerf, head of the Nutrition department at the Institut Pasteur de Lille:
“80% of risk factors for cardiovascular disease are modifiable. »
Thus, whoever has the possibility of avoiding, to some extent, perishing because ofcardiovascular disease. Precisely, with this in mind, we reveal to you 12 tips to follow to avoid heart attack.
1. Consume vitamin D
To prevent a heart attack, you must take vitamin D. A 2008 observational study carried out on 1739 people for 5 years attests to this. The study concluded that vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of having a heart attack.
According to this study, a vitamin D level lower than 15 ng/mL dans le sang equals 62 % chances to do a heart attack. The good news in all of this is that vitamin D is free as long as the weather is nice!
Indeed, it is enough to expose yourself to the sun for 20 minutes a week to refuel. It’s also found in foods like tuna and salmon. In winter, since there is less sun, it is better to consume vitamin D as a dietary supplement.
2. Beware of slimming diets
Low calorie diets can make you losing weight in the space of some months. However, be careful, as it can harm your health.
The problem with the diet is that in addition to reducing your body mass, it also reduces the level of good cholesterol (HDL). Remember that the latter helps to reduce the risk of heart attack. Anything less would be problematic.
3. Avoid saturated fats and « trans »
An American study published in 2005 covered 78,778 women the revealed :
- 5% more saturated fat increases the risk of heart attack by 17%.
- 5% fat « trans » (hydrogenated vegetable oils) increase this risk by 93%.
Therefore, avoid, as much as possible, eating products containing saturated fat et « trans ». To do this, check the product labeling.
4. Watch your weight
Overweight is usually due to lack of physical activity and too much food. This increases the risk of heart attack. To fight against this, nothing difficult: eat healthy and practice sport regularly.
5. Prioritize fiber
You need to watch everything you eat. If there’s one thing you need to focus on, it’s fiber. Bringing many benefits, fiber reduces thebad cholesterol level (LDL). The latter increases the risk of cardiovascular disorders including heart attack.
6. Consume antioxidants
Selon the Dr Catherine Solano:
“Free radicals present in the body stimulate tissue inflammation and are involved in the onset of cardiovascular disorders. »
These disorders are at the origin of heart attacks. But all this you can avoid by consuming plenty of antioxidants. On a daily basis, it is found, among other things, in green tea and red fruits such as cranberries.
7. Reduce your stress level
According to a study conducted across 52 countries in 2004, stress was the cause of 32% of heart attacks. How to do ? Everyone does what they can, but here is what Dr. Catherine Solano advises:
“Yoga, mindfulness meditation, cardiac coherence, sophrology are good allies to get rid of stress. »
8. Promote omega-3s
Did you know that clot formation can cause a heart attack? To prevent this from happening to you, eat foods rich in omega-3. They are found in abundance in fish and rapeseed or walnut oil.
9. Get checked out regularly
To avoid the risk of having a heart attack, you must check your cholesterol levels regularly, your blood pressure, your weight, and your blood sugar. To do this, a regular visit once or twice a year to the general practitioner is sufficient.
10. Stay away from tobacco
We all know that smoking is bad for your health. in addition breathing problems, it also increases the risk of heart attack. And this, in the smoker and the people around him.
“The carbon monoxide from cigarettes passes into the blood and constricts the arteries, which increases the risk of heart attack,” says Dr. Catherine Solano
11. Play sports
We can never say it enough! Sport is more than beneficial for physical and mental health. Practiced regularly, it guarantees optimal health for the heart. To avoid a heart attack, it is not the intensity that counts, but the periodicity of the practice.
12. Women beware!
Many believe, wrongly, that they are the most likely to have a heart attack. From 50 years oldfemale hormones cease their work of lowering cholesterol in the arteries.
What makes that arrived at the menopause, the women are more vulnerable to the heart attack. Of course, the previous advice applies.