HEALTH SPECIAL ....Men and matters of heart

Men and matters of heart

We list out some essentials to keep a man’s heart healthy…

As men age, cardiovascular health becomes a high priority. There is a long list of risk factors, besides smoking and excessive drinking that can increase the chance of heart disease in men. The least one can do is do everything in moderation, be it exercise, drinking or eating sweets. Excess of any of these can make things go horribly wrong.

Daily moderate exercise: 

One should remain physically active (it is recommended you perform at least 150 minutes of moderately

intensive exercise each week). Maintaining normal weight and BMI in a normal range is the most important thing.

It is the regularity that matters, not the intensity. Measurable health boosts come from daily brisk walking, cycling and swimming.

Moderate diet: 

Eating habits deserve particular attention. Consumption of sugar sweetened beverages (aerated drinks, packed juices) should be minimised.

Intake of fast food and processed foods should also be restricted to not more than once or twice a week. Increasing fruit and vegetable content of diet is inarguably helpful. A serving of nuts every day also improves cardiovascular health by providing essential minerals and fatty acids. Focus on eating healthy foods rather than obsessively counting grams of fat, although do pay close attention to how much sodium you consume in your food.

De-stress: 

Excessive stress harms the cardiovascular system.

Women and men tend to handle stress differently – women like to talk it through, while men tend to bottle it up. Studies show that chronic stress, especially the kind that generates fear or anger, is a risk factor for heart disease. De-stress through therapy, music, exercise, deep breathing or other mental relaxation techniques.

Fat to fit: 

Research shows eating too much saturated fat is not good for the heart. Foods such as bacon, red meat, butter and ice cream contain saturated fat. You should also avoid transfats or partially hydrogenated oils. These fats can clog arteries and raise cholesterol levels.

Screenings: 

Go for regular cholesterol and BP screenings, both are markers of future heart problems. Keep your cholesterol below 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), LDL cholesterol below 100 mg/dL, and “good” protective HDL at 40 mg/dL or higher. If you have not been diagnosed with high blood pressure, strive to keep yours down to around 120/80 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg).

— Inputs from Dr Viveka Kumar, Interventional Cardiology & Dr Vinayaga Pandian,Cardiologist

Supriya.Sharma2@timesgroup.com

TL 18NOV18