Doing something for a healthy heart always pays off in a better quality of life, experts say. Here are five simple tips from leading heart health bodies on how to support your heart.
Do you know what your blood pressure or cholesterol levels are? Heart patients in particular should know these figures, as well as their blood sugar levels, and check them regularly. Blood pressure, for example, can be monitored at home with a device.
Alternatively, it can be checked at a pharmacy or at the next doctor's appointment. Because early detection is important, everyone should ideally have these values checked at least once - for example at their next routine medical examination.
It's of course best not to start smoking in the first place, but if you have already heart health experts say you can still make a difference by stopping as quickly as possible.
However hard quitting may be, this prospect may provide some motivation: within the first two years of stopping, the risk of a heart attack falls by half, according to the German Heart Foundation. Its experts advise smokers to set a firm quit date and then take it step by step.
Too many extra kilos put a strain on the heart and circulatory system and make conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes more likely. The two levers here are exercise and diet.
Exercise does not necessarily mean sweaty workouts. Every step in daily life counts - for example, walking or cycling some journeys instead of taking the car.
Your diet should be balanced and plant-based. Cut down on sugar and heavily processed products. Too much salt can also harm the heart. Instead, vegetables, fruit, wholegrain products and high-fibre foods should be on the menu.
The key is simply to start. Find people to join you, because most things are easier as a team than alone.
Consistently too little or too much sleep is bad for the heart. Experts say an average of seven hours a night is ideal.
Regular bedtimes and evening routines can contribute to good sleep, as can fresh air and a bedroom temperature of around 18°C. You should avoid late and heavy meals, drinking coffee late in the day, and napping after 3pm.
Infections can place a particular burden on cardiovascular patients, especially older people, which is why many health experts suggest consistent vaccination to help prevent heart attacks.
Germany's Stiko vaccination health body recommends the following four key vaccinations: Flu vaccination against the influenza virus, pneumococcal vaccination, Covid-19 vaccination and vaccination against RSV (respiratory syncytial virus). Some experts and health bodies also recommend a shingles vaccination for all people aged 60 and over. – dpa
