Get Healthy After a Cardiac Arrest; You Gift Yourself Seven More Years of Life

Are you a heart attack survivor? If yes, the right kind of care and medications will add seven more years to your life, studies reveal.

There, however, exists a worrying trend. Heart attack survivors generally don’t receive the care they deserve. Up to 65% of them fail miserably in their attempts to minimize factors that contribute to the same. One year after a heart attack or a similar procedure, people become lenient with regard to their blood sugar and cholesterol levels.  40% of them had hypertension.

Get Healthy After a Cardiac Arrest; You Gift Yourself Seven More Years of Life

Things looked worse when it came to lifestyle. 79% among them appeared obese and 45% did not exercise enough. All these, according to scientists, indicate missed chances.

If cared for well, a heart attack survivor would be able to live stroke-free for seven more years. This brings up the question; why these patients failed to fulfill their goals of treatment? The answer may depend on several factors, health officials say.

After a cardiac arrest or any related procedure, patients mostly will be under treatment to control blood pressure, cholesterol and to minimize blood clots. They, according to experts, may not be receiving optimal care and proper combinations or dose of medication. Next comes the question of lifestyle choices. These definitely play a vital role in regulating the factors like blood pressure and body weight.

A scientist presented these findings during a virtual meet of the European Society of Cardiology. These findings, until published in peer-review journals, are treated as basic observations.

According to another research, the findings present another question; why cardiologists are not aggressive enough in addressing risk factors?

According to scientists, proper medication alone will not help in this regard. When the number of patients does not reach where it needs to be, they should consider adjusting the dose of medication and assessing combinations of medicines.

Working out at regular intervals too deserves utmost importance. Cardiologists exhort heart attack survivors to migrate to an almost vegetarian diet. They should include more grains that are high in fiber, beans, nuts, vegetables, and fruits.

They may also consider joining a cardiac rehabilitation program. This ensures that you can have expert recommendations to modify your lifestyle in such a way as to suit your physical condition.

Heart attacks instill the fear of exercise in the minds of people. They may find themselves unable to decide the extent to which they can work out.  Some may even feel that their time of working out has come to an end.

Joining a cardiac rehabilitation program helps you to gain that confidence again. In such a setting, experts monitor patients for the right amount of exercise. There are also other mechanisms if joining a rehab program is not your thing.

Heart attack survivors are advised to consult their doctor with regard to any doubt they may have. They may need assistance in quitting smoking or reducing alcohol consumption afterward. They should also ask all their questions with regard to medication and other issues they may have.

Support from family is something of utmost value. Following a healthy meal plan or quitting smoking becomes easier when someone you love gets involved with you in the process.

You should also be mindful of your mind. Mental and physical health goes hand in hand. Learn stress management techniques. Practicing breathing exercises or regular meditation too will help a lot.

Your doctor may impose restrictions other than your medication. Follow his advice. If you fail in your attempts, your doctor may refer you to a dietician.

Stay healthy; you have nothing to lose, but seven disease-free years to win!