Written By: Care New England on July 15, 2021
Everyone is at risk for vascular disease. Although the prevalence of the conditions increases with age, it is important to keep your vascular system functioning no matter your age. Knowing your risks and making healthy lifestyle changes will go a long way in ensuring you are doing well with your vascular health. This will ultimately contribute to your overall well-being. So how can you improve your vascular health?
To keep your vascular system healthy, you need to be careful about what you eat. Avoid foods that are high in saturated fats and bad cholesterol as they will contribute to a buildup of plaque in your arteries. Instead, choose a high protein, high fiber diet.
A healthy diet will help to improve blood flow and control your blood pressure. Your diet should include whole grains, fruits, vegetables, fish, beans, lean meat, and poultry.
Staying physically active will have a huge impact on your circulatory health. The good news is that you do not have to participate in strenuous physical activity. Simple activities like jogging, practicing yoga, and swimming will help to maintain your vascular health.
Also, walking at least 30 minutes daily promotes the growth of new blood vessels and helps with circulation in your legs. Consult your healthcare provider for personalized suggestions based on your health and needs.
Maintaining a healthy weight is critical to ensuring proper vascular health. Indeed, fat can clog your blood vessels, something that will have a negative effect on your circulation. If you are overweight, losing additional weight will go a long way in improving blood flow and preventing vascular disease. Keeping your body in good shape will also help you to avoid a host of lifestyle diseases.
Diabetes is one of the risk factors for vascular disease. Excess blood sugar can cause your blood vessels to narrow, a factor that will lead to increased blood pressure and reduce the supply of blood and oxygen.
About 103 million Americans have high blood pressure, the most common form of vascular disease. Hypertension can damage the walls of your blood vessels over time, causing them to narrow, leak or rupture.
As such, it goes without saying that controlling your blood pressure will contribute to good vascular health. This will also help you to reduce your risk of stroke, heart failure, heart attack, and kidney damage.
Smoking increases the risk of vascular disease significantly. The chemicals in cigarettes cause blood to thicken and can accelerate the process of atherosclerosis. To maintain your vascular health, avoid using cigarettes, cigars, pipes, and chewing tobacco.
Similarly, you should limit your alcohol intake. Studies show that excessive consumption of alcohol can lead to the narrowing of arteries in the legs and hypertension.
Chronic stress can have serious negative consequences on your vascular health. Without proper stress management techniques, long-term stress can lead to increased blood sugar, blood cholesterol, and blood pressure. Stress may also contribute to changes that promote plaque build-up in the arteries.
Vascular health is important to your overall health and wellness. You should take any related concerns seriously. At Care New England, we are a network of hospitals that are committed to providing you with the personalized care you need. Contact us today to request an appointment.
