Cardiovascular Diseases (CVD) in men have become very common in recent years. According to the WHO, CVDs are the leading cause of death claiming 17.9 million lives each year around the world [1]. It is also shocking to know that around one-third of these deaths occur in people below the age of 70.
Especially men are prone to CVDs with around 382,776 deaths only in the US in the year 2020. This is an alarming fact and this accounts for the reality that one in every four males is dying due to heart disease in the US [2].
Therefore, it is important to look after and improve cardiovascular health in men and here we are to help you with natural remedies.
How Can Men Improve Cardiovascular Health?
It is very easy for men to improve and maintain a healthy heart. But they just have to change certain aspects of their lifestyle and diet. Let us understand those aspects and keep our hearts healthy.
Quit Alcohol and Smoking
Alcohol is a major factor that can influence heart disease in both men and women. But you can find some literature suggesting that moderate consumption of alcohol can actually protect you from CVDs.
But in reality, alcohol intake will lead to liver damage which can influence the weakening of the heart muscles and eventually lead to heart failure. Whether it is heavy drinking or casual drinking, alcohol doesn’t make a body healthy and it has many ill effects on the body.
Similarly, smoking dumps excess nicotine and tar into the lungs which ruin the blood purity and eventually leads to high blood pressure. This causes coronary heart disease which is among the primary reasons for death in males.
Therefore, you need to quit these habits immediately. Once you start quitting these habits, your body will start to detox alcohol and remove wastes from smoking.
After complete detox, your cardiovascular health will be much better and it will increase your overall well-being.
Observe Night Sleep
Studies have shown that sleep deprivation can give coronary heart disease and has major effects on the health of your heart [3]. Therefore, you need to observe a regular night’s sleep to keep your heart healthy.
If you are on a night shift job, then you must try to switch shifts or change your job to keep your heart healthy.
Sleep deprivation will lead to obesity and it can influence hypertension. With an increase in blood pressure, your heart will become weak eventually and cause you chronic heart conditions.
Therefore, you need to sleep at night without fail. It is best to sleep with an empty stomach at night. To observe this, you can take very light food at night which helps you to keep your stomach empty when you go to sleep.
Also, it is best to avoid using smartphones to improve your sleep quality and increase the probability of deep sleep.
Exercise Everyday
Do any kind of exercise to keep your body fit and reduce the risk of heart disease. When you exercise, your body burns all the excess fat and keeps you away from being overweight.
You can be involved in any kind of exercise like running, swimming, or any sports activity. It is better to do these activities in the evening so that you can have better sleep at night.
Unless you are a sportsman or a professional bodybuilder, you don’t have to stress yourself more into these activities. Because it may affect your cardiovascular health in your old age.
Try to do these activities as a recreational stress reliever and just to keep your body’s health in check. That is why it is recommended to do swimming which is an exceptional activity to relieve stress, shed some calories, and keep your weight in check.
Relieve Mental Stress
Stress is a big factor that can immensely affect a person’s emotional state and can highly influence the well-being of the heart.
Research has shown that stress and lack of emotional support are major players that influence heat disease in both men and women [4].
Therefore, you need to keep your mind stress free. Try to find emotional support from friends or family. Share your joy and sorrow with your loved ones so that you can keep up your overall health.
Relieve job-related stress by involving in recreational activities and going on a vacation once in a while. Create a social group that can influence you with positivity and constantly gives you good vibes.
Try to minimalize your involvement in social media and get into the real world to experience life better. These things will reduce your stress and lower the chances of getting heart disease.
Emotions play a major part in your overall well-being. Therefore, try to maintain emotional stability to keep your heart healthy.
Why Men are More Prone to Heart Disease than Women?
Like obesity, you can find more men with heart diseases than women. While obesity is also one of the major causes of widespread heart disease, studies also suggest that the ability to cope with stress is less in men [5].
When it comes to physical stress, men are usually involved in heavy labor or risky workplaces. Therefore, their body is affected very badly influencing several diseases and condition.
Similarly, these situations can influence high mental stress and can make it very difficult to cope. In many parts of the world, men are the breadwinners of their families. So, naturally, they are prone to higher stress levels and social pressure.
Therefore, in general, we can find a lot of men falling prey to CVDs. So, all men must look after their health and be cautious about their cardiac health.
Conclusion
We have now understood how easy it is to be healthy and maintain a healthy heart. With these simple changes in your life, you can create extraordinary changes to your body and improve your heart’s condition easily. With a sound heart, you will be able to live a healthy and happy life longer.
Reference
1. Cardiovascular Diseases – https://www.who.int/health-topics/cardiovascular-diseases#tab=tab_1
2. Men and Heart Disease – https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/men.htm
3. The Effect of Sleep Deprivation on Coronary Heart Disease – https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1001929417300081
4. Coronary heart disease: a review of the role of psychosocial stress and social support – https://academic.oup.com/jpubhealth/article/18/2/221/1498633
5. Why do men get more heart disease than women? An international perspective – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10863872/
