This week's focus: The Cardiovascular System: Understanding Your Arteries

Note: This page discusses changes to diet/nutrition and lifestyle that published research has shown may support heart health. Talk to your healthcare provider to learn more about your options and before making changes to your everyday nutrition and self-care practices.

Overview

Arteries are major blood vessels that help blood circulate throughout the body, supplying oxygen and nutrients to the body's cells, and removing carbon dioxide and waste products, among other important functions. Healthy arteries and circulation, influenced by genetics but also diet and lifestyle factors, is particularly important to cardiovascular health. Restricted blood flow can cause serious health conditions, ranging from heart attacks (when the heart does not get enough blood) to intermittent claudication (when blood does not properly circulate in the legs). High blood pressure (hypertension) and high blood levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, and homocysteine are all associated with cardiovascular disease. You doctor can help you track these indicators and plan a program of healthy eating, exercise, and, when appropriate, medications, to help you minimize risk.

Top Tips for Cardiovascular Health

Eat Right

Trim unhealthy fats: Protect your heart and its blood supply by cutting down on red meat, dairy fats, and foods made from partially hydrogenated oils that contain harmful trans fats. Fuel up with nuts, olive oil, fish, and other sources of healthy fats instead.

Protect with produce and whole foods: Choose plenty of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains in favor of processed foods.

Guard your blood pressure: Get your blood pressure levels measured and address hypertension by sidestepping salt, eating right, and watching your weight. Left untreated, hypertension significantly increases stroke and heart disease risk.

Watch the triglycerides: Elevated triglycerides, a group of fatty compounds that circulate in the bloodstream and are stored in the fat tissue, are another cardiovascular risk factor. To control them, try to slim down, get fit, limit alcohol and caffeine, and eat more fish and less sugar and other refined carbohydrates.

Shoot for healthy homocysteine: A growing body of evidence suggests that an elevated homocysteine level is a risk factor for heart disease. Help lower homocysteine by eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, and talking to your doctor about supplement options.

Live Right

Get and stay trim: Aim for a healthy body weight to avoid problems with blood fats and other heart disease risk factors.

Get smoke-free: Quit smoking and stay clear of cigarette smoke to lower your risk of several types of cardiovascular disease.

Get active: Couch potatoes have increased cardiovascular disease risk, so make sure you get regular exercise. It is always best to check with your healthcare provider before starting a new exercise routine, particularly if you have any history of heart problems or associated conditions.

Get tested: See your doctor to find out if you have problems with high blood pressure or high blood levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, homocysteine, or glucose and together tailor a program that addresses and manages these risks through medicines, nutrition, and activity. Medications sometimes prescribed for conditions related to cardiovascular health include:

• "Statin" drugs from the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor family, to block the body's cholesterol production and to lower triglycerides.
• Beta-blockers used to lower blood pressure and treat chest pain (angina) and support the heart after a heart attack.
• Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors: a family of drugs used to treat high blood pressure, some types of heart failure, and in some cases to improve survival after a heart attack.

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Disclaimer: The information in this page was prepared by Aisle7 for educational purposes only; it is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. Health claims are based on scientific studies (human, animal, or in vitro), clinical experience, or traditional usage. The results reported may not necessarily occur in all individuals. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements or before making any changes in prescribed medications, diet, or exercise habits. Aisle7, Walmart, and Pierce Promotions make no representations concerning the information contained in this article and disclaim any liability for such information and the decisions you make based on such information.