Heart healthy living also reduces risk of cancer

The American Heart Association (AHA) is reporting that not only are 7 simple lifestyle modifications strongly linked to reducing the risk of heart disease but also strongly linked to reducing the risk of cancer. Life's Simple 7 is a seven-point plan devised by the AHA as part of its My Life Check campaign to help Americans adopt a heart-healthy lifestyle. "The 7 simple steps are: Get Active: raise physical activity level to minimum of 150 minutes exercise a week (eg half hour brisk walking five days a week). Keep to a Healthy Weight: aim to have your body mass index (BMI) no higher than 25. Eat a Healthy Diet: low in saturated and trans fats, cholesterol, sodium and added sugars; high in whole grain fiber, lean protein, and a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables. Control Cholesterol: aim to have a total cholesterol level of under 200 mg/dL (but also check balance of HDL or "good" cholesterol and LDL, or "bad" cholesterol, eg too little HDL, less than 40 mg/dL for men or less than 50 mg/dL for women, can be bad for heart). Manage Blood Pressure: normal is less than 120 mm Hg systolic AND less than 80 mm Hg diastolic. Prehypertension is 120 - 139 systolic OR 80 - 89 diastolic. Reduce Blood Sugar: fasting blood sugar level above 100, could indicate diabetes or prediabetes. Do Not Smoke: smoking is the most important preventable cause of premature death in the US: apart from increasing risk of lung cancer, by itself it increases the risk of c...
Source: Dr Portnay - Category: Cardiology Authors: Source Type: blogs