The state of health of your heart is largely dependent on your diet. Choosing salty, high-fat, high-cholesterol foods can increase your risk of heart disease or worsen pre-existing heart disease. Your doctor prescribed a cardiac diet, because the cardiac diet reduces those food substances that may be damaging to your heart. Following your doctors recommendations will promote heart health and preserve heart function.
High Blood Pressure
Your physician may have prescribed a cardiac diet because you have high blood pressure. A high salt intake will increase your blood pressure, because salt pulls water into your blood vessels, increasing the pressure in your arteries. High blood pressure puts additional stress on the heart, which can cause long-term damage. The cardiac diet is low in salt, typically less than 1,500 mg per day, which will help control your blood pressure and preserve heart function.
High Cholesterol
High cholesterol may influence your doctor's decision to prescribe a cardiac diet. High cholesterol can clog the arteries in your heart or in the other arteries in your body, which increases your risk for a heart attack. In most cases, a cardiac diet is not prescribed only for high cholesterol but also will be prescribed if you have known plaques in your coronary arteries, the arteries to your heart. Reducing your cholesterol intake will prevent worsening of plaques in your arteries and may prevent a future heart attack.
Heart Failure
A patient with known heart failure will be prescribed a cardiac diet. If you have heart failure, your heart is not pumping blood to the tissues in your body efficiently. Therefore, blood backs up in the blood vessels that return blood to the heart, which can result in swelling and weight gain. Prescribing a diet that is low in salt will reduce blood pressure so your heart will not have to work as hard to pump blood. In addition, avoiding cholesterol and fat will preserve the function of your heart.
Previous Heart Attack
If you have previously experienced a heart attack, your doctor should prescribe a cardiac diet. Patients who have a history of a heart attack are at the highest risk for having another heart attack. Making the proper dietary changes to optimize blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels are important in preserving heart healthy. Strict adherence to the cardiac diet and prescribed medications may prevent a future heart attack.
