Top Tips for Improved Heart Health in the Elderly
Heart disease is the number one cause of death throughout the United States. Nearly 700,000 people lost their life to this disease in 2020. While heart disease risk can be somewhat genetic, there are some lifestyle factors that have a strong impact on preventing heart health issues, as well. Senior home care will encourage your elderly loved one to follow through with these tips when you can’t be there:
Movement Should Be a Priority
One of the things that your elderly loved one should be doing to prevent heart health issues is moving around regularly. Studies show that people who walk between 8,000 to 12,000 steps a day have a much lower risk of heart health issues than people who walk fewer steps than this. In addition, other studies show that people who get up and move around a bit every hour or two are much healthier than those who sit around for hours at a time without getting up. You and home care providers can make sure movement is a priority for your elderly loved one.
No Smoking
Did you know that smoking isn’t only bad for the lungs? It is bad for the heart, as well. In fact, research shows that people who smoke have a much higher risk of strokes, heart attacks, and heart disease than non-smokers. It also shows that people who quit smoking have a lower risk of heart issues within the first 24 hours of not smoking. After more time, the heart disease and heart attack risk goes down even more.
Heart-Healthy Eating
How does your elderly loved one eat right now? Do they eat a lot of fatty, cholesterol-filled foods? If so, their risk of having heart issues is probably quite high. Studies show that in order to lower the risk of heart disease when it comes to the diet, people must eat heart-healthy foods and eliminate or limit sodium, cholesterol-filled foods. Some of the foods that should be avoided are fast foods, fried foods, packaged foods, and different kinds of margarine. Some of the foods that should be added to the diet are leafy greens, healthy fats, avocados, nuts, and olive oil. Eating a rounded, balanced diet is truly one of the best ways to prevent heart health issues.
Sleep Well, Sleep All Night
Did you know that senior citizens who get quality sleep and who sleep all night have a much lower risk of heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes? According to professional resources, sleep helps to repair damage in the body which includes any damage done to the heart. So, the better your elderly loved one sleeps, the better it will be for their heart.
Conclusion
These are some of the top tips for improved heart health in the elderly. Now that you have these tips, you can better prepare your elderly loved one for lifestyle changes they will need to make to protect their heart. Don’t forget that senior home care can help your elderly loved one to make these lifestyle changes.
Sources
https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/prevention.htm
If you are considering senior home care Summerlin, NV, for an aging loved one, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Summerlin. 702-800-4616.