A Balanced Heart Is A Healthy Heart
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By The Adesso Team | Posted Jun 28, 2022
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States. The good news is that cardiovascular disease is preventable. There are behavioral counseling interventions that promote a healthy diet and physical activity for disease prevention.
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The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends that clinicians offer or refer adults without cardiovascular disease risk factors to intensive behavioral counseling interventions. These interventions promote healthy diet and physical activity for cardiovascular disease prevention.
The recommendation applies to adults aged 18 years or older who do not have cardiovascular disease risk factors. Risk factors include hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, smoking, obesity, poor diet, or lack of physical activity.
Behavioral counseling is a type of therapy that focuses on changing unhealthy behaviors and promoting healthy lifestyle choices. It is based on the premise that our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are all interconnected. By changing our thoughts and emotions, we can change our behavior.
Behavioral counseling interventions for cardiovascular disease prevention typically involve individual or group sessions with a trained counselor. These sessions focus on helping individuals make lifestyle changes, such as eating a healthy diet and being physically active.
Interventions may also include tools and resources to help individuals track their progress and stay motivated. For example, some interventions may give participants pedometers to track their daily steps or access to online resources such as educational materials or recipes.
Studies have shown that behavioral counseling interventions can help adults make positive lifestyle changes. Those lifestyle changes can reduce their risk of developing cardiovascular disease. In one study, participants who received behavioral counseling were more likely to adopt healthier lifestyle habits than those who did not receive counseling. For example, they adopted behaviors such as eating a healthier diet and being physically active.
Another study found that participants who received behavioral counseling were more likely to maintain their weight loss over time than those who did not. These studies suggest that behavioral counseling interventions can be effective. Behavioral interventions effectively promote a healthy diet and physical activity for cardiovascular disease prevention in women.
The USPSTF recommends that clinicians offer or refer adults without cardiovascular disease risk factors to intensive behavioral counseling interventions to promote a healthy diet and physical activity for cardiovascular disease prevention. This recommendation applies to adults aged 18 years or older who do not have cardiovascular disease risk factors, including hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, smoking, obesity, poor diet, or lack of physical activity.
Interventions may include tools and resources to help individuals track their progress and stay motivated. Studies have shown that behavioral counseling interventions can help adults make positive lifestyle changes. Thus, greatly reducing their cardiovascular disease risk. These studies suggest that behavioral counseling interventions can effectively promote a healthy diet and physical activity for cardiovascular disease prevention in women.
