What do stroke, heart attack and pulmonary embolism have in common? Thrombosis.
It is in fact the formation of a thrombus inside the blood vessels that causes these cardiovascular diseases.
If they are considered as a whole, they represent the first cause of death and serious disability in Italy, where they affect over 600 thousand people every year. And so it is throughout the Western world.
Preventing them is possible, thanks to scientific research and prevention. Small daily gestures, such as limiting the use of salt in the kitchen and exercising, reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Prevention of thrombosis
By changing your lifestyles and habits you can protect yourself from cardiovascular diseases. Here are the right moves to make.
First of all, moderate physical activity. It is useful because it burns calories, reduces blood pressure, increases the share of good cholesterol (HDL) and improves peripheral circulation.
30-40 minutes of aerobic exercise three times a week is enough, i.e. walking at a good pace, cycling on the plains, swimming and light cross-country skiing.
How can you be sure that your activity is aerobic? Simple, if you can no longer speak fluently during exercise it means that you have exceeded the aerobic threshold.
Then there’s feeding. A balanced diet helps to avoid overweight problems, lowers the share of bad cholesterol (LDL), reduces the dreaded triglycerides, keeps blood pressure and blood sugar at bay.
To be preferred, in general, are foods of plant origin, such as fruits, legumes and vegetables. This avoids the notorious saturated fats, responsible for increasing blood cholesterol.
Green light, without exaggeration, to extra virgin olive oil or corn, red light for butter, lard and cream.
As for meat, it is better to focus on lean meat (no more than three to five times a week), such as chicken, turkey, horse, ostrich, rabbit and lean cuts of beef.
Fish is also very good, especially salmon, mackerel and blue fish. It should be brought to the table at least three to four times a week because it is rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fats.
It is also important to keep blood pressure under control: the maximum (systolic) should not exceed 140, the minimum (diastolic) should be below 90 mmHg.
Keeping it within these limits helps a lot to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Joycelyn Elders is the author and creator of EmpowerEssence, a health and wellness blog. Elders is a respected public health advocate and pediatrician dedicated to promoting general health and well-being.
The blog covers a wide range of topics related to health and wellness, with articles organized into several categories.