Helpful Guide to Reduced Risk of Heart Disease
Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, claiming the lives of one out of five people who pass away each year. There is no way for a person to eliminate the risk of developing heart disease entirely, but there are steps high-risk individuals may want to take. This article will offer a brief but helpful guide to reducing the risk of heart disease.
Stages of Heart Disease Prevention
Just like there are stages of heart disease, there are also stages of prevention. During the primary stage, high-risk individuals have yet to develop heart disease but are showing signs of moving in that direction. Secondary prevention occurs after a person has developed heart disease. Primordial prevention, on the other hand, is considered the gold standard for reducing the risk of heart disease and involves preventing risk factors from developing, to begin with.
Primordial Prevention
During the primordial prevention stage of stopping the development of heart disease, doctors and patients work to prevent risk factors from developing. During this stage, simple lifestyle factors such as improving exercise habits, making dietary changes, and taking supplements like a k2 d3 vitamin can be of great help. Some people are more genetically predisposed to the development of heart disease than others, so the exact steps each person takes to reduce risks during primordial prevention vary.
According to the American Heart Association, primordial prevention is the cornerstone of reducing the personal and societal burden of heart disease. The sooner people begin to practice it, the better. Avoiding the development of health issues such as inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and atherosclerosis, to begin with, can stop heart disease risk factors like high blood pressure, obesity, and high cholesterol from taking hold.
Primary Prevention
Primary prevention is aimed at Americans who have already developed risk factors for heart disease. It focuses on controlling those risk factors by implementing healthy lifestyle changes, and may necessitate taking medications to control blood pressure, cholesterol, or weight. Unfortunately, the development of cardiovascular risk factors means that the underlying mechanisms that cause heart disease are already present, and most are irreversible.
Individuals who find themselves at high risk for heart disease should work carefully with their doctors to implement appropriate changes. Controlling risk factors now can mean avoiding that first heart attack or stroke instead of having to move on to the secondary prevention stage.
Secondary Prevention
Secondary prevention begins when a patient has already had a stroke or a heart attack, or after they have undergone radical treatments such as angioplasty or bypass surgery. In other words, it applies to people who already have heart disease. The secondary prevention stage almost always involves taking medications in addition to making essential lifestyle changes.
Some people assume that secondary prevention is pointless since they already have heart disease. That’s a mistake. In fact, secondary prevention can halt the disease’s progression and prevent another stroke or heart attack from occurring.
Everyone Should Be Aware of Heart Health
The good news for people in any stage of heart disease prevention is that the basic cornerstones of maintaining cardiovascular health also help people maintain other aspects of their physical and mental health. Exercising more, eating healthier, and quitting smoking or losing weight as necessary will only make people feel better, while simultaneously reducing their risk profiles.
