|
Heart Health for all Ages (Feb 2010) |
|
|
|
|
20s and 30s· Know your family history - Learn who in your family has experiences heart disease and talk to your doctor about how your family history may affect your own risk profile.· Assess your health habits - You are not invincible and immune to cardiac risks. The eating and exercise habits you learned growing up can either help or hinder your health. Now is the time to take stock and take control of your health. Investing now will reap the rewards of longevity and quality of life for years to come.· Don't smoke - Leave the smoke to campfires. If you don't smoke, congratulations! If you do smoke, quit now. Of all the things you can do to protect your heart, smoking cessation is perhaps the most beneficial. 30s and 40s· Know your numbers - This is a good time to learn your cholesterol, blood pressure, glucose and ideal weight to develop your personal baseline. If your numbers are within healthy limits, your challenge will be to maintain them at this level. If you numbers put you at an elevated risk for future heart disease or diabetes (the two diseases are inter-related), now is the time to work with your healthcare provider(s) to manage your numbers to reduce your risk.· Set a good example - Children are influenced much more by what they see their parents do that what you say. Model good eating, exercise and stress reduction strategies for them, and start them off on a lifetime of heart-healthy habits.· Take care of yourself - The demands of managing a family and sometimes a career as well can seem like an excuse to put ourselves last and to abandon our good health habits. 40s and 50s· Monitor your numbers - It is wise to check your numbers annually and perhaps more frequently if you are being treated for elevated risk in any factor. By checking regularly, not only are you giving yourself a chance to change your risk, you can celebrate your suceeses in maintaining or reducing your risk levels.· Continue modelling - If you haven't adopted a healthy lifestyle yet, its not too late to start and involve your children in the process. Bring good foods into the house, reduce access to junk foods, limit TV, computer and gaming electronic time and get plenty of exercise. 50s, 60s and Beyond · Renew your focus - Prevent complacency and renew your focus on a living a heart-healthy lifestyle. It continues to be critical for you to protect your heart and its never too late to make changes or to compliment the positive things that you are doing with new healthy habits.· Develop good sleep hygiene - Uninterrrupted sleep becomes more difficult as we age but it is important to your general and cardiac health. Aim for 6-8 hours of good, quality sleep every night.· Listen to your body - Even if they are not "typical", new or unusual symptoms could predict trouble and need to be discussed with your healthcare team. Pay attention to how you feel and listen to your body when it sends you signals that something may "just not be right". Symptoms, evaluation and treatment of heart disease are different in women and men. To learn more, visit The Heart & Stroke Foundation website. |
