4 Simple Ways for Boosting Your Heart Health

Eat healthy, exercise regularly and say no to smoke — these are some of the tried-and-true ways for keeping your ticker in tip-top shape. But beyond this getting your veggies and hitting the gym are also there, there are some other preventative measures too that one can take to help in lowering your risk of developing heart-related diseases.
John P. Higgins who is a sports cardiologist and along with this is a professor of cardiovascular medicine at The McGovern Medical School at Houston has shared five surprisingly simple and everyday strategies for ensuring your heart is functioning at its best.
1. Home In on Oral Hygiene
Surely, flossing and brushing are two important things for preventing bad breath and cavities, but these healthy dental habits also may result in some benefits for your heart.
It’s hard to believe but research suggests that brushing our teeth twice a day for at least two minutes may help in lowering the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Indeed, a December 2019 study also found a correlation between proper oral hygiene care and a decreased rate of atrial fibrillation and heart failure.
2. Don’t Skimp on Sleep
Poor sleep quantity and not just it but also quality is directly associated with obesity, unhealthy dietary choices, diabetes, elevations in cholesterol and hypertension, which are further the risk factors for stroke and coronary artery disease.
3. Adopting a Pet
Not just adorable and cuddly but these four-legged furry friends may help in boosting your heart health. Indeed reports suggest that people who own pets report feeling happier, plus they're less likely to smoke or possess diabetes.
4. Avoid Air Pollution
Polluted air not only directly harms the environment but also damages our heart, too. Over time, breathing in particulates can increase the risk of blood clots that raise our blood pressure, causes inflammation in our blood vessels, harden your arteries and at last lead to an irregular heartbeat.

By: Prerana Sharma
Content: https://www.livestrong.com/article/13724354-keep-heart-healthy/