Protect your vision by keeping heart health in sight. Hypertension, high LDL cholesterol and smoking can harm eyes as well as hearts. Your eyes may be the windows to your soul, and they also provide a pretty clear view of the heart and brain. Your eyes are one of the few places where doctors have an unobstructed view of blood vessels, so vision exams can often detect early warning signs for heart and brain arterial diseases. New research suggests that age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of vision loss in Americans over 50, shares a similarity with atherosclerosis. Both problems involve the buildup of fat and cholesterol in blood vessels. As plaque builds in the vessels of the eye, it interferes with vision. Living a heart-healthy lifestyle isn’t only about fending off heart disease; it’s about staying young and healthy well into your senior years. To protect your peepers — and the rest of you — keep your weight, blood sugar, LDL cholesterol and blood pressure in check. You can do that by exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight, quitting smoking, and avoiding stripped carbohydrates and processed and saturated fats. Other ways to maintain your vision: Eat plenty of dark, leafy greens, like spinach, kale or collard greens (aim for at least three servings per week); wear sunglasses outdoors in bright sun; and never skip regular eye exams.
Posted on: Fri, 14 Jun 2013 14:55:30 +0000
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