Heart-Healthy Tips for Elderly Adults in Bethesda, MD and Nearby Areas

A heart-healthy lifestyle is vital at any age, but seniors should stress it even more since the chances of having a heart attack, stroke, heart disease or heart failure increase with age. Because of aging-related changes in the circulatory system and years of plaque formation in the arteries, people over the age of 65 are more likely to develop heart disease.

Even if you or a loved one has heart disease, you may take actions to enhance your heart health and live a long and healthy life.

How Does Heart Disease Affect Seniors?

One of the leading causes of death in the United States is cardiovascular disease. As a consequence of the many demands placed on it, the heart may become overworked. Your heart can't beat as fast as it used to while you're active. Fatty deposits in your arteries may impair your heart's ability to pump sufficient blood to and from it.

Everyone is susceptible to heart disease, but seniors are at a higher risk. Some of the most common risk factors for heart disease are as follows:

• Obesity
• Poor diet
• Inactive lifestyle
• High cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes

Steps Towards Preventing Heart Disease

High blood pressure and cholesterol levels are two risk factors for having a stroke or developing heart disease as you become older. If your senior loved one lives at home, a caregiver from Visiting Angels of Bethesda can assist with daily routines and meal preparation to ensure they get the care they need.

Even as you age, you should continue to engage in a range of activities to keep your heart healthy. Even though statistics suggest that the risk of heart disease increases with age, you may help a senior loved one by exposing them to heart-healthy lifestyle and dietary practices.

Heart-Healthy Habits for Seniors

Certain lifestyle changes, as well as preventive medical treatment, may help reduce the risk of heart disease. Making heart-healthy decisions in your daily life is the first step in preventing heart disease.

Here are some ideas for making little changes to enhance your heart health:

• Reduce stress - Many pre-existing heart disease problems that seniors encounter, such as high blood pressure, may be aggravated by stress. Take the time to develop suitable stress-relieving outlets to reduce your risk of heart disease.
• Get better sleep - A good night's sleep of seven to nine hours is essential for seniors. Sleep is good for your brain, metabolism, immune system and mental health. Sleep deprivation may increase your risk of heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and stroke over time.
• Maintain a healthy weight - Obesity raises the risk of heart disease, therefore maintaining a healthy body weight may benefit your heart. Physical exercise and a heart-healthy diet may aid in the attainment and maintenance of a healthy weight.
• Stay active - Regular physical activity may help you lose weight, improve your physical well-being and lessen your risk of a range of conditions, including heart disease risk factors like high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Consider taking a stroll, dancing or gardening—anything that will get you up and moving rather than sitting.
• Eat a heart-healthy diet - Consume a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables while avoiding saturated fats, salt and cholesterol-containing foods such as fatty meats. Instead of red and processed meats, consider a heart-healthy diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and fish and shellfish.

Visiting Angels of Bethesda's in-home care services can assist your loved one in managing these lifestyle adjustments and meeting their day-to-day requirements. For example, our caregivers may accompany your loved one on a regular walk to preserve their heart health or to decrease stress caused by difficulty doing daily tasks such as light cleaning and errands.

Your senior loved one will be on the way to a joyful, heart-healthy life with greater knowledge and simple lifestyle modifications!

To learn how our home care services can help seniors improve their heart health, call our Bethesda, MD office at 301-490-9050 to schedule a free in-home consultation.