Maintaining good health into old age is always welcome, as this is the best stage to enjoy retirement with a much better quality of life. The rate of cardiovascular disease in the elderly is still alarming around the world, so we will give you valuable tips on preventing disease in the elderly. Give us the pleasure of your company and stay with us until the end of the reading.
Healthy and balanced diet
Perhaps this is the most important tip about disease prevention in the elderly: having a healthy and balanced diet is practically a must for seniors, as people in this age group are more susceptible to heart disease. Therefore, the elderly should include fruits, vegetables, white meat, fish, whole grains, oil seeds, and others in their diet.
On the other hand, he should avoid harmful foods such as sweets, fried foods, white pasta, soda, sugary drinks, excess red meat, and anything that can raise cholesterol and cause cardiovascular disease. A balanced diet gives everyone more health and disposition in their daily lives. Remember that old saying, “we are what we eat.”
Life without smoking or excessive drinking
It is not news to anyone that smoking and consuming alcohol in excess can harm our health in full, and with elderly people it is even worse. Therefore, disease prevention in the elderly also includes staying away from cigarettes or any other illegal drug, which causes real damage to the body. In addition to harming the heart, they cause other health problems, such as cancer.
If the elderly person is in good health, the consumption of alcoholic beverages should be very moderate, without any type of excess, as alcohol can also cause heart disease. The fact is that all kinds of overeating are never welcome, especially when it comes to good health. Having a life without cigarettes or excessive alcohol: that’s the big question!
Frequent physical activities
Another interesting tip about disease prevention in the elderly. It’s not just because a person has reached their 70s or 80s that they don’t need to exercise anymore, right? We’re not talking about running a marathon and finishing first, but exercising frequently: aerobic activities strengthen the heart and make it much more resistant to disease, for example.
There is no lack of physical activity options for seniors: water aerobics, walking, swimming, among other exercises that will make the elderly sweat their shirts constantly. Exercising at least 3 times a week is essential for the elderly to stay well away from heart problems. Remember that the duration of the exercises should be at least 1 hour each time. Sedentary shoo!
Disease prevention in the elderly: frequent check-ups
Unfortunately, there are still many elderly people who are resistant to going to the doctor for a check-up appointment and this proves to be a serious problem when it comes to disease prevention. A routine consultation serves to detect possible health problems and make a general assessment of the patient, so the elderly must have frequent check-ups, at least twice a year.
The doctor will order blood tests to check cholesterol, triglycerides, blood glucose, and other variables that can cause heart health problems. In addition, it is necessary to measure blood pressure and perform a preventive electrocardiogram. If you’re over 60, don’t neglect your health and get regular check-ups. One thing is guaranteed: you won’t regret it.
Keeping yourself within your ideal weight
Another nice tip about disease prevention in the elderly: as much as it may not seem, keeping within the ideal weight is very important to stay away from cardiovascular disease, especially in old age. But for this to happen, it is necessary to follow all of our tips above, especially with regard to nutrition and physical activity.
Not to mention that when we are within the ideal weight, the whole body works more efficiently and without overload, normally caused by the extra pounds. Another crucial factor is self-esteem, which is soaring when you don’t have any extra fat on your body. Even though the metabolism in elderly people is slower, it is necessary to stay within the ideal weight.
Escape from stress
Did you know that excessive stress can also harm your heart health? It’s true, and stress in the elderly can be even more harmful in everyday life. Therefore, we advise you to avoid anything that can stress you out or leave your nerves on edge: the heart thanks you.
A good tip for preventing diseases in the elderly is having a hobby to bring fun to your daily life and as a form of distraction. Also, avoiding major worries and situations that can cause a great deal of stress is critical.
If these situations are constant, they can damage the physical and mental health of anyone. High levels of cortisol in the body can raise blood pressure and even cause other problems in physical and emotional health, so for the elderly to be free from heart problems, it is good to avoid stress.