Live to Be 100 — Heart Doc Gives 7 Simple Steps

27.10.2011 [20:37]
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Baku, October 27 (AZERTAC). Seven simple steps could add at least a decade to the average lifespan, says noted cardiologist Dr. Clyde Yancy. In fact, he believes a healthy 50-year-old can expect to live another 40 to 50 years.

"Achieving these seven simple lifestyle factors gives people a 90 percent chance of living to the age of 90 or 100, free of not only heart disease and stroke but from a number of other chronic illnesses including cancer," says Yancy, a professor of medicine and chief of cardiology at Northwestern University`s Feinberg School of Medicine. He is also the former president of the American Heart Association.

Dr. Yancy`s seven steps to living to 100 are:

Get active. A sedentary lifestyle can slice almost four years off a person`s projected lifespan. And those who are physically inactive are twice as likely to be victims of cardiovascular disease.

Know and control your cholesterol levels. About one in five Americans has cholesterol levels above 200 mg/dl, and are considered borderline high by the American Heart Association. Almost 38 million have levels above 240 mg/dl, extremely high levels that increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. Heart disease is the No.1 killer in America, and is responsible for about 500,000 deaths every year. Research shows you can lower your odds of developing heart disease by as much as 40 percent by lowering your cholesterol levels.

Follow a healthy diet. A diet high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fish, and low in red meats and saturated fats slash your risk of disease. "Most of the evidence around the world indicates that of all cancers, about 35 percent is related to dietary habits," Dr. John A. Milner of the National Cancer Institute told Newsmax Health. "That`s really a significant percentage of cancers that are avoidable if you choose the right diet. And don`t forget to add spices to your dishes," he says. "Spices such as garlic can reduce your risk of some types of cancer."

Know and control your blood pressure. About one in three Americans has high blood pressure (systolic levels at 140 mmHg or above). High blood pressure is the top preventable cause of death among women in the United States, claiming more than five times as many lives as breast cancer. Among men, hypertension is the second-leading killer, outranked only by smoking.

A recent study found that people with prehypertension (120-139 systolic) had a 35 percent greater risk of stroke than those with normal blood pressure levels.

Achieve and maintain a healthy weight. According to the National Institutes of Health, 68 percent of all American adults are overweight or obese. Overweight and obese people have an increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and many other diseases, including diabetes. More than 80 percent of adults with Type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese.

Manage diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association, 25.8 million Americans have diabetes, and 79 million have prediabetes. Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. Diabetics double their risk of having a heart attack or stroke and also have an increased risk of kidney disease, eye disease, and nerve damage.

Be tobacco free. More than 45 million Americans continue to smoke, according to the CDC. Smokers are twice as likely as nonsmokers to have strokes, and when they do, the strokes occur almost a decade earlier than when nonsmokers have them, according to a recent Canadian study. Smokers also have a higher risk of recurrent strokes and a greater chance of complications. Those who have had minor strokes are 10 times more likely to have a major stroke if they continue to smoke. And a Japanese researcher found that the death rate for men who smoked was 60 percent higher than nonsmokers and 90 percent higher for women smokers. He concluded that smoking was more dangerous than high cholesterol, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

Currently, fewer than 10 percent of people achieve their goal of optimal health, but changing our focus to preventing disease has enormous potential if the seven steps are embraced by the population as a whole. "We know how to prevent heart disease and stroke — we now need to build the tools to empower our citizens to manage their risk and prevent heart disease," Yancy said.

"By following these steps, we can compress life-threatening disease into the final stages of life and maintain quality of life for the longest possible time." Yancy predicts that, if we act now, the tidal wave of heart disease, diabetes, and other diseases brought about by our unhealthy lifestyles can reverse by 2020.

Live to Be 100 — Heart Doc Gives 7 Simple Steps

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