Maintaining a healthy heart provides you with several benefits. Cardiac diseases not only affect the heart but they also have an impact on blood vessels and other organs of the body including the brain, lungs and kidneys. The risk factors for heart diseases can be minimized by maintaining health with lifestyle changes such as exercising daily, eating a low fat diet, quitting smoking and losing weight.
Healthy Lifespan
According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, almost 500,000 middle-aged people die prematurely every year in the United States due to heart disease. Heart diseases include coronary heart disease and valve problems. Decreasing or controlling risk factors for heart disease such as excess weight, obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure can maintain heart health.
Prevent Stroke
Maintaining heart health can also help to prevent strokes, the third most common cause of death in the United States according to the American Heart Association. Both heart disease and stroke have similar risk factors. These include atherosclerosis, a disease that can cause the walls of the coronary arteries of the heart to become thickened, hardened and weak--narrowing the arteries and reducing or blocking blood flow. This results in exertion of more pressure by the heart to pump blood through the damaged vessels. Atherosclerosis also affects blood flow to the brain that, if significantly reduced, can lead to a stroke that causes damage to different areas of the brain. Effects of a stroke include muscle weakness, difficulty speaking, blurred vision and paralysis.
Prevent Blindness
Complications of heart disease and high blood pressure include weak vision, vision problems and even blindness. By maintaining a healthy heart, these sight problems can be significantly reduced or prevented. The blood vessels supplying oxygen and nutrient to the eyes may get narrowed by plaque build-up, which leads to decreased or blurred vision in one or both eyes. The University of Maryland Medical Center explains that the blood vessels to the eyes can become occluded due to a clot or fat embolus resulting in painless vision loss.
Reduce Kidney Failure Risk
The kidneys may also be seriously affected by a diseased heart. High blood pressure can lead to damaged blood vessels in the kidney. This effects the kidney's function of excreting waste products resulting in and accumulation of excess water and salts in the body, further damaging the heart and blood vessels. Symptoms of kidney problems include swelling of the face, feet and hands, tiredness, fatigue and weakness. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases notes that controlling blood pressure and preventing heart disease can help prevent kidney problems.
