This post about how to maintain heart health as you age is sponsored by MitoQ. All opinions expressed here are my own.
Last fall, I got a frantic call from my father. My mother had been hospitalized due to heart problems and the prognosis was grim. Prior to this moment, I knew my mother had a heart murmur. She had mentioned to me a few days previously that her doctor had recommended a valve replacement. But she never hinted that her heart problems were life threatening. I flew home to be with my parents and worried about whether I would make it in time.
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When genetics works against you
Thankfully, after a very stressful 2 weeks, my mom came home to wait for the heart surgery that would save her life. During this time, my father admitted to me that he, too, had heart problems. While shocking to me at the time, I have come to realize that heart issues as you age are incredibly common.
I have done a lot of research in the last few months on how to support heart health. Obviously, my genetics are going to work against me, right? So I am going to have to learn how to maintain heart health through diet and lifestyle changes instead.
Then I found out all about MitoQ and how it can help support heart health, so I decided to share my own experience.
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What Happens to Your Heart as You Age?
Heart problems are incredibly common in older people. Why is this exactly? What happens to your heart as you age that makes you susceptible to heart problems? Basically, as you get older, so does your heart.
And that means it functions less efficiently. Unless you learn how to maintain heart health as you age, your heart may not stay as healthy as you need it to be.
As you age, so do your blood vessels. They become less flexible. This makes it harder for blood to move through them easily. Fatty deposits are also a big concern. Fat deposits in the heart are called plaques. They also collect along artery walls and this slows the blood flow from the heart to the rest of the body.
Who is Prone to Heart Attacks?
Heart attacks in middle age are not confined to the classic overweight man who smokes a pack a day and lives on fried foods. Sure, those are risk factors, however, many people are at risk for a heart attack and don’t even know it.
Men in their 40’s are definitely at higher risk, however, women become more at risk as they age. In fact, as women age, they are just as prone to heart conditions as men.
Heart-related conditions are actually the number one killer of women in the United States. It causes more deaths than all forms of cancer combined. That is a staggering number.
And it means that learning how to maintain heart health as you age is incredibly important for middle aged women like myself. Especially since I have genetics against me!
How To Maintain Heart Health As You Age
There are many ways to keep your heart healthy through diet and lifestyle changes. Here are just a few healthy heart tips you should include in your life on a regular basis.
Try to be more physically active.
Regular exercise is a great way to support heart health. You don’t need to run marathons. Just get your blood pumping and your heart working harder on a regular basis.
If you smoke, quit.
Smoking is bad for your health. Yes, quitting is hard. However, if you want to know how to maintain heart health as you age, tossing the cigarettes are a great first step.
Follow a heart-healthy diet.
There have been many studies on heart healthy diets. They really do help support heart health over time. Eat more fruits and vegetables and fewer processed foods. Include healthy fats like avocados, olive oil, and walnuts in your diet. Eat more salmon and fewer steaks.
Maintain a healthy weight.
If you are overweight, your heart is going to struggle to work more than if you were at an ideal weight. Eating healthier and excising more might help the weight melt right off.
Keep your diabetes, high blood pressure, and/or high cholesterol under control.
These are all risk factors for adverse heart conditions. Talk to your doctor about medications that can help you control them.
Don’t drink a lot of alcohol.
There are numerous studies about alcohol and heart health. Ask your doctor or a nutritionist about alcohol and how it affects heart health. A glass of red wine might be something he or she recommends!
Manage stress for improved heart health.
Stress and anxiety play a huge role in many physical problems we may have. Take up yoga or meditation to reduce stress. Your heart will thank you!
Talk to your doctor about supplements for heart health. While adequate nutrition is vital, heart supplements can also play a role in keeping a heart healthy. For example, MitoQ Heart offers many nutrients that support a healthy cardiovascular system. Always talk to your doctor about which heart supplements they recommend.
MitoQ® Heart for Cardiovascular Health
What is MitoQ Heart and how can it help support cardiovascular health? MitoQ is a new, next generation, powerful CoQ10 antioxidant supplement that targets the mitochondria – our cells’ “power plants.”
The heart is basically a giant muscle and requires a lot of energy to function properly. So, healthy mitochondria can really help maintain its power supply. The heart can also benefit from specific nutrients to maintain health. MitoQ’s unique formula contains L-Carnitine.
This nutrient helps the body convert fuel into energy. It also contains magnesium, a crucial component in the cellular energy production processes.
MitoQ Heart also contains Vitamin D3. Recent studies show that normal vitamin D levels are important for a healthy cardiovascular system. All of these ingredients support healthy heart function, in addition to normal blood pressure levels, flexible arteries and cardiovascular performance.
Taken daily, MitoQ® Heart can help to support healthy heart and circulatory function. You can read all about the science of MitoQ for heart health on the MitoQ website.
If you want to purchase MitoQ Heart, head over and buy MitoQ Heart right on their site . You get free shipping on orders over $150. Follow MitoQ on Facebook for more information.
More Heart Health Tips
Looking for more articles on improving heart health? Check out my discussion on how to reduce stress at work and tips for staying fit after 50. Or, maybe you need some info on nutrition for heart health? Check out my post about the nutritional benefits of walnuts. There are many ways to support heart health. Just get started one baby step at a time!
Diane is a professional blogger and nationally certified pharmacy technician at Good Pill Pharmacy. She earned her BS in Microbiology at the University of New Hampshire and has worked in cancer research, academics, and biotechnology. Concern over the growing incidence of human disease and the birth of her children led her to begin living a more natural life. She quickly realized that the information she was learning along the way could be beneficial to many others and started blogging and freelance writing to share this knowledge with others. Learn more about her HERE.