Three Bad Habits That Increase Your Risk For Heart Disease

Health & Medical Blog

Heart disease is a leading killer of both men and women over the age of 55. For African American men, that statistic doubles, almost triples, the potential for heart disease and death. Sadly, a lot of the things people do every day put them at higher risk for developing heart disease, thus requiring a greater need for heart disease care in the U.S. Here are three bad habits that increase your risk and how you can prevent or reduce your risk by dropping or changing these habits.

Constant Sitting

The body was not designed to be constantly in motion or constantly sitting. People sit to rest after being in motion, but they are not meant to stay sitting for several hours a day. When you sit for several hours a day, your blood flow slows, your heart does not work hard enough to circulate through your system, and the fats and fatty acids in your blood begin to collect and form arterial plaques. The plaques harden, even in your heart's vessels, which leads to heart disease and death. If you are sitting for eight hours a day at your job, get up and move whenever you can. If you are a couch potato at home, do more housework or take a daily walk to reduce your risks for heart disease.

Lots of Fried Foods

Humans naturally reach for fatty foods because they taste good, they are comforting, and they are convenient and cheap. However, fried foods are full of oils and extremely high in sodium, both of which increase your blood fats and cholesterol while elevating blood pressure. Next time you go out of the workplace for lunch or supper, put down that stack of fries and fried chicken and eat a salad with grilled chicken instead. Better yet, walk to a restaurant (time permitting) and then choose a much healthier option for your lunch.

Excessive Drinking 

If you head to a bar every night after work and binge drink on the weekends, you are digging your own grave. Alcoholic beverages elevate the triglycerides in your blood, which are directly related to high cholesterol and heart disease. If you drink a lot, maybe you should seek help to stop. If you drink a few times a week, cut back a little and opt to drink red wine instead, which has been shown to be heart-healthy (or at the very least, heart-friendly).

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24 January 2017

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