Improve Your Vascular Health

Everyone is at risk for vascular disease, but there are lifestyle changes that have a positive impact on your vascular health. Maintaining the healthy condition of your arteries and veins helps to ensure you avoid developing vascular diseases as you grow older. Here are some tips to improve your circulation and overall vascular health.

Having hypertension puts you at risk for stroke and heart disease, which are leading causes of death in the United States.
Having hypertension puts you at risk for stroke and heart disease, which are leading causes of death in the United States.

Improve Your Vascular Health

Everyone is at risk for vascular disease, but there are lifestyle changes that have a positive impact on your vascular health. Maintaining the healthy condition of your arteries and veins helps to ensure you avoid developing vascular diseases as you grow older. Here are some tips to improve your circulation and overall vascular health.

1. Eat a healthy diet ; Choose a high protein, high fiber diet and avoid foods high in saturated fats and bad cholesterol that contribute to plaque buildup in your arteries.
2. Avoid Smoking and Tobacco Use ; Smoking increases the risk of vascular disease by over 60%. The chemicals in cigarettes can make your blood thicken and cause you to develop atherosclerosis, the hardening of your arteries, more quickly than non-smokers. To maintain good vascular health, avoid cigarettes, cigars, and chewing tobacco.
3. Maintain a healthy weight ; Fat can clog your blood vessels, resulting in poor circulation. Losing weight positively impacts your vascular health by reducing your risk of becoming diabetic. Plus, it also lowers both your blood pressure and cholesterol level.
4. Stay physically active ; Did you know that walking at least 30 minutes a day promotes the growth of new blood vessels and helps the circulation in your legs? Sports, yoga, and other activities keep your heart pumping oxygenated blood and promote an overall healthy lifestyle. Ask your physician for recommended activities that suit your abilities and health needs.
5. Promote good leg circulation ; Things like standing for long periods of time, crossing your legs at the knee, or extended time sitting on airplane flights can all negatively affect the circulation in your legs. Wearing good shoes, compression socks, and crossing your legs at the ankle instead of the knee can help maintain proper circulation.
6. Maintain a healthy blood pressure ; High blood pressure is the most common form of vascular disease in America. Millions of Americans suffer from hypertension, which damages the walls of your blood vessels. Over time, they can narrow, leak, or even rupture. Controlling your blood pressure improves your vascular health and reduces your risk of stroke, heart failure, and kidney damage.
8. Limit alcohol ; Excessive consuption of alcohol has a negative effect on your vascular health. It can narrow the arteries in your legs and cause hypertension.
9. Reduce stress ; Stress management has a positive impact on your vascular health. Chronic stress can lead to increased blood sugar, blood pressure and high cholesterol. Those are serious health conditions, so finding ways to reduce stress is important.
10. Get an annual physical ; Seeing your health care provider on a regular basis ensures that vascular disease and the conditions that lead to it can be properly managed. If you haven’t seen your Family Medicine provider in a while, it’s time to schedule an appointment.
1. Eat a healthy diet ; Choose a high protein, high fiber diet and avoid foods high in saturated fats and bad cholesterol that contribute to plaque buildup in your arteries.
2. Avoid Smoking and Tobacco Use ; Smoking increases the risk of vascular disease by over 60%. The chemicals in cigarettes can make your blood thicken and cause you to develop atherosclerosis, the hardening of your arteries, more quickly than non-smokers. To maintain good vascular health, avoid cigarettes, cigars, and chewing tobacco.
3. Maintain a healthy weight ; Fat can clog your blood vessels, resulting in poor circulation. Losing weight positively impacts your vascular health by reducing your risk of becoming diabetic. Plus, it also lowers both your blood pressure and cholesterol level.
4. Stay physically active ; Did you know that walking at least 30 minutes a day promotes the growth of new blood vessels and helps the circulation in your legs? Sports, yoga, and other activities keep your heart pumping oxygenated blood and promote an overall healthy lifestyle. Ask your physician for recommended activities that suit your abilities and health needs.
5. Promote good leg circulation ; Things like standing for long periods of time, crossing your legs at the knee, or extended time sitting on airplane flights can all negatively affect the circulation in your legs. Wearing good shoes, compression socks, and crossing your legs at the ankle instead of the knee can help maintain proper circulation.
6. Maintain a healthy blood pressure ; High blood pressure is the most common form of vascular disease in America. Millions of Americans suffer from hypertension, which damages the walls of your blood vessels. Over time, they can narrow, leak, or even rupture. Controlling your blood pressure improves your vascular health and reduces your risk of stroke, heart failure, and kidney damage.
8. Limit alcohol ; Excessive consuption of alcohol has a negative effect on your vascular health. It can narrow the arteries in your legs and cause hypertension.
9. Reduce stress ; Stress management has a positive impact on your vascular health. Chronic stress can lead to increased blood sugar, blood pressure and high cholesterol. Those are serious health conditions, so finding ways to reduce stress is important.
10. Get an annual physical ; Seeing your health care provider on a regular basis ensures that vascular disease and the conditions that lead to it can be properly managed. If you haven’t seen your Family Medicine provider in a while, it’s time to schedule an appointment.

Prevention, testing and treatment are part of the individualized care that you receive at Penn State Health. If you are concerned about your vascular health or are seeking a second opinion, schedule an appointment with our vascular specialists.

Prevention, testing and treatment are part of the individualized care that you receive at Penn State Health. If you are concerned about your vascular health or are seeking a second opinion, schedule an appointment with our vascular specialists.

Penn State Health – Benner Pike
Vascular

303 Benner Pike, Suite I State College, PA 16801