The Real Age Assessment Test - Essay Example

"Real Age Assessment Test" is a good example of a paper on the cardiovascular system.

 A person’s lifespan age might be different from the real age of the internal body functions as a result of abuse and sedentary lifestyles. Physical abuse of one’s body brought by physical inactivity and unhealthy choices of food may lead to chronic diseases such as diabetes, liver cirrhosis, or coronary artery disease (CAD). Diseases emerging from poor lifestyle habits are also the most difficult diseases to cure because lifestyle habits were not easy to establish and maintain in terms of consistency. 

The result of my real age assessment test recommends eating healthy foods and regular exercise to lower body weight and decrease blood pressure. Consistently having high blood pressure directly leads to atherosclerosis and increasing body weight decreases HDL (high-density lipoprotein) that may lead to the development of coronary artery diseases (Springhouse, 1999, p. 25). Women are at high risk to develop CAD than men and predisposing factors for the development of CAD are categorized as non-modifiable and modifiable predisposing factors of CAD. Non-modifiable factors are factors that cannot be controlled such as genetic predisposition, family history, age, and gender while modifiable factors include those factors that can be controlled such as weight, high blood pressure, cigarette smoking, and elevated homocysteine, serum cholesterol, and triglyceride levels (Springhouse, 1999, p. 25). Modifiable risk factors are usually the target of health promotion and disease prevention in lowering the incidence rates of CAD.  

Goals 

After learning the result of the real age assessment test, I came up with two-life changing goals: one is to eat healthy foods and the other one is to engage in regular exercise to decrease my body weight and lower my blood pressure. Being overweight or obese increases the likelihood of developing diabetes, high cholesterol levels, and hypertension – factors that may contribute to the development of CAD (Springhouse, 1999, p. 34).  

Preventive Measures 

Nutrition. Proper selection of foods and eating right are the key interventions in preventing the development of CAD. Five servings of fruits and vegetables coupled with 25grams of fiber from natural dietary sources per day are the best foods to lower the risk of developing CAD. Foods and vegetables are rich in fiber, phytochemicals, complex carbohydrates, and antioxidants that lower the risk of heart disease and cancer. Also, foods and vegetables are low in sodium and have no fat which lowers blood cholesterol levels and hypertension. Consume less than 6 grams of salt daily to avoid the incidence of high blood pressure(Rippe, 2009, n.p.). 

Exercise. To maintain the best bodyweight and avoid CAD, regular exercise counts a lot. Eating too many calories without physical inactivity may lead to obesity. Having a walk of approximately 30 minutes daily and exercises like swimming and jogging reduce the risk of developing CAD. Initiating an exercise regimen depends on individual needs. Starting an exercise regimen with aerobic exercises is a perfect example as this increases the strength of the heart. It would also be helpful if exercises were chosen according to convenience as too much exertion will lead to fatigue. Consulting your physician regarding the most appropriate form of exercise will not only lower the risk of CAD but also ensure that the exercise regimen is safe and effective for every individual.