The heart is the engine of the human body. This muscle, the size of a fist, is in charge of pumping blood throughout the body, and taking care of it from childhood is essential to avoid future diseases, since cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in the world, according to the World Health Organization. Dr. Rodrigo León, cardiologist of our clinic, gives us some tips to keep the heart strong and healthy.

• Stop smoking: Tobacco consumption directly affects the heart, damaging the walls of the arteries and favoring the formation of thrombi. In addition, carbon monoxide, generated by smoking, decreases the supply of oxygen to the body.
• Maintain an active life: A sedentary life can be detrimental to health. Therefore, it is important to stay active to reduce the risk of heart disease. It is advisable to engage in physical activity for a minimum of 30 minutes, 3 to 5 times a week.
• Having a healthy diet: An unhealthy diet is among the main risk factors for heart disease and stroke. Therefore, it is important to maintain a balanced diet, avoiding excessive consumption of carbohydrates, processed foods, refined flour, fats, and fried foods.
• Maintain adequate rest: Sleeping a few hours a day (less than 6 hours) increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. For this reason, it is recommended to sleep between 7 to 8 hours.
• Good stress management: It is important to learn to deal with situations of stress, tension, or anxiety, even more so if they occur constantly, as these are a trigger for blood pressure.

Dr. Rodrigo León
Cardiologist at Clínica Ricardo Palma