Avoid These Bad Habits To Lower Your Risk Of Heart Disease

September 29 is observed as World Heart Day. Based on data from the World Health Organization (WHO), 18.3 million people in the world die from heart and blood vessel disease, 3 times more than HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis as a whole. This means that cardiovascular disease is a disease that plays a major role as the number one cause of death worldwide and is a global threat. Data for Basic Health Research (Riskesdas) in 2018, the incidence of heart and blood vessel disease is increasing from year to year with the proportion of 15 out of 1000 people, or around 2,784,064 individuals in Indonesia suffering from heart disease.

Here are bad habits you can avoid to lower your risk of heart disease:
1. Sitting for a long time
Sitting for hours and sedentary can affect the levels of fat and blood sugar that accumulates in the arteries.
2. Snoring
Snoring can be a sign of something more serious, such as obstructive sleep apnea, which is trouble breathing during sleep and can cause blood pressure to rise significantly.
3. Not flossing
Sticky, bacteria-laden plaque can build up and trigger inflammation in the body and lead to atherosclerosis.
4. Excessive exercise
Regular exercise with high intensity can increase the risk of cardiotoxicity, which is damage to the heart muscle due to the release of chemical compounds that cause the heart to no longer be able to pump blood throughout the body. Excessive exercise can also cause arrhythmias or heart rhythm disturbances.
5. Excessive alcohol consumption
This is associated with a higher risk for hypertension, high blood lipid levels, and heart failure.
6. Overeating
This triggers overweight to obesity which triggers hypertension, lower good cholesterol levels, high bad cholesterol levels, and high blood sugar levels.
7. Frequent consumption of red meat
Red meat is rich in saturated fat which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.
8. Stopping or skipping medication
Feeling fine until you stop taking the drug can be a trigger for the silent killer, a killer without symptoms.
9. Rarely eat fruit and vegetables
The most heart-healthy diet is a plant-based diet of fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, low-fat dairy, and protein, and minimizes fast food.
10. Ignoring physical symptoms
Feeling short of breath or chest pressure after light exercise is often considered unfit even though it can be a symptom of damage to the heart muscle.
11. Excessive salt consumption
The more salt you eat, the more likely you are to develop high blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for stroke, kidney failure and heart attack.
12. Eat empty calories
Foods high in sugar, fat, and oil can provide calories without many of the nutrients the body can use, which can increase the risk of obesity and diabetes.
13. Smoke
Chemicals in cigarettes can impair the functioning of the cardiovascular system and increase the risk of atherosclerosis.

Immediately stop the bad habits above so that our hearts stay healthy and strong. Regular health checks to find out your blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and cholesterol levels actually.

mDoc provides a risk screening service for heart disease and stroke on the app's home page to find out how much you are at risk for heart disease and stroke. Download the Doc application and do heart disease and stroke risk screening now.