{"id":12308,"date":"2022-12-07T06:29:00","date_gmt":"2022-12-07T12:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shieldagency.com\/blog\/?p=12308"},"modified":"2022-12-05T13:47:43","modified_gmt":"2022-12-05T19:47:43","slug":"the-new-heart-health-guidelines-you-need-to-know-about","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shieldagency.com\/blog\/the-new-heart-health-guidelines-you-need-to-know-about\/","title":{"rendered":"The New Heart Health Guidelines You Need To Know About"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

HuffPost.com <\/a> | Jillian Wilson<\/a> | Nov 16, 2022, 05:45 AM EST | Health Insurance<\/a> | Heart Health<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can cut your risk of cardiovascular disease by following this advice from the American Heart Association.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maintaining a healthy heart is a challenge for many people. It requires dedication to a workout regimen, eating healthy food, and staying in touch with your doctor about your cardiovascular disease risk factors (high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, and more).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cardiovascular disease \u2015 which includes heart disease, heart attack<\/a>, stroke, heart failure, arrhythmia, and heart valve problems \u2015 is the No. 1 killer of Americans, according to Dr. Leslie Cho<\/a>, the section head of preventive cardiology at Cleveland Clinic. Every 34 seconds<\/a>, someone in the U.S. dies of cardiovascular disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This all may sound pretty scary, and it is. But \u201c90% of heart disease is preventable,\u201d Cho said. And those preventable measures are outlined in the American Heart Association\u2019s recently updated Life\u2019s Essential 8<\/a>, which is described by AHA as \u201ckey measures for improving and maintaining cardiovascular health.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s what to know:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sleep is now included in the heart health guidelines.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For the first time, sleep is included in the heart health guidelines because it is \u201cvital to cardiovascular health,\u201d according to the AHA. Adults should get seven to nine hours of sleep each night to have an optimal immune system, for cell, blood vessel, and tissue restoration, to improve brain function, and to lessen the risk of chronic disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s lots of data about Americans not getting enough sleep or having bad sleep, and we know a lot more about if you have poor sleep, that increases your risk factor for cardiovascular disease, but also things like high blood pressure and heart failure,\u201d Cho said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She added that studies show<\/a> sleep deprivation can also increase cardiovascular risk factors like obesity and diabetes. \u201cIt\u2019s a vicious cycle,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And there is even more risk for people with sleep apnea, a condition in which you stop breathing in your sleep. The condition has \u201cbeen linked to things like high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation and heart failure,\u201d Cho said, noting that it\u2019s important to talk to your doctors about your quality of sleep to see if you might be suffering from sleep apnea or another sleep issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Secondhand smoke and vaping are now official risk factors (though they were already well-known risks).<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Quitting smoking has always been an important way to cut your risk of cardiovascular disease, but now the guidelines explicitly include the dangers of secondhand smoke and vaping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the AHA, \u201cabout a third of U.S. children ages 3-11 are exposed to secondhand smoke or vaping,\u201d and both are linked to an increased risk of heart disease and certain kinds of cancer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn modern America, we\u2019ve been led to believe that vaping is better than smoking, and that\u2019s not true,\u201d Cho said. Vaping can cause lung problems and cancer, and delivers nicotine, which is highly addictive, she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The heart health guidelines also underscore the importance of other healthy lifestyle habits.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For more on this story, click here…<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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More great reads from Shield Insurance Agency<\/h2>\n\n\n