In this section, you will learn more about the most common cardiovascular and heart disease risk factors
There are many things you can do to prevent cardiovascular and /or heart disease and stay healthy. Simple things like; maintaining a healthy weight; being physically active; following a healthy eating plan, that emphasizes fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy foods; choosing and preparing foods with less salt and sodium; and, if you drink alcoholic beverages, drinking in moderation.
Major Risk Factors That Can Be Changed
- Obesity: people who are overweight – a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30.0 or higher – are more likely to develop high blood pressure
- Smoking Cigarettes: cigarette smoking increases the amount of plaque build up on the walls of the arteries. Plaque is a fatty deposit that can cause arteries to narrow
- Cholesterol: high blood cholesterol levels also create a greater risk of plaque formation in the arteries
- Eating too much salt: a high sodium intake increases blood pressure in some people – Adopt Healthy Eating Habits
- Alcohol: heavy and regular use of alcohol can increase blood pressure dramatically. Excessive alcohol consumption can cause damage to your heart muscle and its arteries
- Lack of physical activity: an inactive lifestyle makes it easier to become overweight and increases the chance of high blood pressure – Be Physically Active Each Day. Exercise can help reduce High Blood Pressure and prevent plaque forming on the artery walls
- Oral contraceptives: should not be taken if you have high cholesterol and / or high blood pressure. Woman should not smoke when taking oral contraceptives, because this increases the risk of blood clot formation
- Stress: this is often mentioned as a risk factor, but stress levels are hard to measure, and responses to stress vary from person to person. However, prolonged stress over a period of time can contribute to an increase in smoking and alcohol abuse, overeating which all increase the risk of heart disease
- Depression: can strike anyone, but people with serious illnesses such as stroke may be at greater risk
- Sleep Disorders: Studies have found that those getting less than six or more than eight hours of sleep a night had a significantly increased for diabetes and a similar pattern has been observed in the relationship between sleep and coronary heart disease
Uncontrollable risk factors
- Race: people of darker skin – African Americans, Polynesian, Maori, for example – develop high blood pressure more often than whites, and it tends to occur earlier and be more severe
- Heredity: if your parents or other close blood relatives have high blood pressure, you’re more likely to develop it
- Sex: men are more likely to have a cardiovascular illness than woman of childbearing years. It seems that female hormones can prevent heart disease. However, in females after menopause or surgical removal of the ovaries, this protection is gone. In recent years there has been an increase in the number of woman under 40 who have developed high blood pressure. It is believed that this is due to the increase in the use of oral contraceptives and the increase in smoking in this group
- Age: In general, the older you get, the greater your chance of developing high blood pressure. It occurs most often in people over age 35. Men seem to develop it most often between age 35 and 55. Women are more likely to develop it after menopause
The regular practice of Vedic Meditation can help you to minimize the use of prescription medications – and the life long side effects. However, we do not advise, nor condone the reduction of any medication without the prior approval of your health professional.
Related Topic:
Monitoring Blood Pressure at Home
One of the greatest benefits of monitoring your blood pressure yourself is that you will have a much better understanding of your condition
… the combination of Vedic Meditation, for twenty minutes twice a day, with a good diet – especially a low fat, low salt diet – and physical exercise, should see a dramatic change in your health.
Vedic Meditation is one of the most powerful techniques available for reducing stress and anxiety. It is also one of the easiest to learn and simplest to practice.
If you are in Auckland (NZ) call me, Warwick Jones, on 09 419 5380, or email to to find our how Vedic Meditation could help you achieve better health.