Watch Your Blood Pressure
Cutting your sodium intake alone won’t always do the trick: In a recent
review of seven studies, people who lowered their salt intake were just
as likely to have a heart attack or stroke as those who didn't limit
sodium, according to research in the American Journal of Hypertension.
Shedding pounds is a better solution: Getting in shape can yield as much
as a 10- to 29-point drop in blood pressure. And regular aerobic
exercise can make it fall another 10 points—it causes your blood vessels
to expand and contract, which they’ll need to do when you’re stressed.
In the office, keep a rubber ball nearby. Click here for The 3 Best New
Cardio Workouts.
Look Beyond Total Cholesterol
Some tests can also give you a more detailed look into your cholesterol,
if it’s necessary. One of them is the non-HDL test. “I recommend that
everyone gets it,” says Krauss. “It’s determined by simply subtracting
HDL cholesterol from total cholesterol. These are both standard tests,
so there’s no special testing required.
Walk 30 minutes every day
One study on men suggests that for every hour of exercise, you get two
extra hours of life. Rather than the "30 minutes," though, fixate on the
"every day"—moving regularly is the active ingredient in exercise's
powerful anti aging effect.
Avoid smoky bars
Don't let people puff away in your space. An hour of passive smoke can
cause the same amount of aging as having two to four cigarettes.
Take half an aspirin daily
Yes, those big studies came out last year saying low-dose aspirin does
pretty much zilch to prevent heart attacks and cancer in women, but we
still have little bits and pieces of the puzzle coming in—and the
evidence is strong for aspirin's reducing the risk of stroke. Let's put
it this way: People in the know take half an aspirin a day. If you're
over 40, we recommend half a 325 milligram tablet (or two baby
aspirins), with half a glass of warm water both before and after you
swallow so that you're less likely to irritate your stomach.
GET AT LEAST SEVEN HOURS OF SLEEP
That's per night, not week. And men—the needier breed—require eight.
Getting by on less can cause metabolic changes that increase your risk
for obesity and diabetes. And one recent study from the University of
Chicago found that the fewer hours of sleep adults get each night, the
more likely they are to have calcium deposits in their arteries.
Eat fish three times a week.
It may not be just the omega-3s in the oil that keep the heart and
arteries humming along; a number of animal studies have also indicated
that fish protein provides a separate boost to cardiovascular health.
Eat a variety of low-mercury fish (such as wild salmon, catfish, or
tilapia). And if you're not nuts about seafood, an ounce of walnuts a
day will give you a good dose of omega-3s.
Consider These Tests
If your doctor needs to know more information about your risk, he has a
few options. If you have a moderate to high risk of heart disease, your
doctor may request a C-reactive protein (CRP) test. “CRP is an indicator
of inflammation, or internal irritation, of the blood vessels.
Fortunately, it can be brought down from high levels by exercise,” says
Elefteriades. There’s also the CT scan, which allows a doctor to see
directly if arterial buildup is an issue.
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