It is often necessary for patients to make healthy lifestyle changes and adjust their daily routines to prevent and manage chronic diseases. The thought of altering a busy schedule might seem overwhelming for some, but lifestyle changes do not have to be difficult or major. Anyone can improve their health and prevent chronic diseases by implementing seven simple lifestyle modifications.
Maintain a healthy blood pressure
It is important for patients to understand what high blood pressure is and how it can affect their hearts and blood vessels. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Physicians can help patients prevent heart attacks and strokes by monitoring and controlling high blood pressure with their patients.
Cholesterol control
Patients with high cholesterol are at an increased risk for cardiovascular disease. Physicians should talk to their patients about what high cholesterol is, what it means, and what they can do to improve their levels. By doing so, patients will be able to reduce high cholesterol and change their lifestyle.
Blood glucose levels should be reduced
For patients with high levels of blood glucose, gaining a better understanding of what raises their glucose levels can be helpful. For example, the foods that can raise blood-glucose levels are often not what you think. For patients with abnormal glucose levels to take healthy eating steps, it is crucial to identify and reduce their intake of those foods.
Engage in physical activity
American adults and adolescents are insufficiently active by about 80%. Physicians can assist patients in identifying ways to become more active despite the fact that some patients may find it difficult to incorporate more physical activity into their daily lives.
Healthy adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week, and 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity per week.
Improve your diet
Keeping a healthy diet is one of the most effective ways to prevent and manage chronic diseases. By reducing the amount of packaged, processed foods in a patient’s diet, patients can manage or prevent high blood pressure by consuming less sodium.
Weight loss
It is possible to improve a patient’s health by losing weight even if their body mass index is higher than normal. A loss of even 5–10% can have a positive impact on their health.
Physicians can help their patients make small and manageable changes to their lifestyle to help them lose weight. Patients can increase their physical activity and change their eating habits to lose weight.
Smoking should be stopped
If a patient smokes cigarettes, it is vital that they quit to improve their health. Smokers are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease. Work with your patients to identify therapies that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration for quitting. To quit smoking, electronic cigarettes are not a harm-reduction tool and are not recommended.
