Heart is an organ which consists of arteries to pass in and out the blood. Discipline and hard work are needed to keep your heart fit; especially avoiding many tasty substances and laziness are the ways of a heart-healthy lifestyle. We should not eat so much meat; only 10 percent of our diet is supposed to be made. A heart-healthy lifestyle should start from young because the increase fatty deposits in the heart’s arteries can start from childhood.
Fatty streaks can be found in the arteries of children as young as two years old. These fatty streaks are early signs of atherosclerosis (when fatty substances collect on the inner walls.). Such a build-up leads to coronary artery disease. The number of streaks increases with the number of risk factors such as high cholesterol, blood pressure and obesity.
Those aged 35 and above are advised to go for a general health screening to check their cholesterol, blood pressure and sugar levels. Truncal obesity (belly fat) is deadly for the heart. Men’s waist should not measure more than 90 cm while women’s waist should not be more than 80 cm.
The trick to keep a heart-healthy lifestyle is to keep your weight down by having regular exercise and eat a healthy balanced diet.
Source:The Jakarta Post Friday, October 3 2008 p.15;
http://www.healthywomen.org/healthtopics/atherosclerosis
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