Heart attack and stroke, the two most common forms of cardiovascular disease, remain the leading causes of death worldwide.
Risk factors include a family history of cardiovascular disease, smoking, diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. Many people don’t realize it, but it’s a fact that being overweight significantly increases your risk of developing the disease.
Optimal cardiovascular health is determined by the following criteria:
- Ideal body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio;
- Normal blood sugar levels;
- Ideal cholesterol levels;
- Normal blood pressure;
- No history of cardiovascular disease.
Improving your cardiometabolic health on your own may be difficult, as sometimes medication is needed to make progress, for example, if your clinical condition requires normalizing your blood sugar or blood pressure. That’s why it’s best to see a doctor.
For cardiovascular health, it is recommended to:
- Regularly check your blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol;
- Lose weight if you are overweight;
- Quit smoking.
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