Self Management for Arthritis & Heart Disease
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is important for both people with arthritis and with heart disease. In particular, physical activity is recommended for people with both diseases. However, recent research has shown that over one-quarter of people with both heart disease and arthritis are not physically active.
Unfortunately for those people, physical activity is one of several healthy self-management tools that can help both arthritis and heart disease. The following section outlines how diet and exercise, and maintaining a healthy weight can improve your health with both diseases and even prevent some forms of each.
Weight loss
Being overweight and obese are major risk factors for hip and knee OA and heart disease. If you are overweight, losing weight can reduce that risk. If you already have OA or heart disease, losing weight can improve them. Modest weight loss will alleviate pressure from the lower extremities, helping to ease pain in the hips, knees and feet. Losing just 15 pounds can cut knee pain in half.
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Exercise
Exercise is important for everyone. Research shows that 30 minutes of aerobic exercise five days a week can can lower blood pressure, cholesterol levels and risk of cardiovascular disease. It can also help relieve pain and improve joint mobility.
In people with arthritis, regular exercise can help relieve pain and improve joint mobility. Regular exercise is also important for improving your general health and sense of well-being, which can suffer if you have a chronic disease.
Diet
While diet does not have an immediate effect on arthritis symptoms, a healthy balanced diet is important to improve general health, minimize risk of cardiovascular disease and to control weight, which plays an important role in the disease. Furthermore, research is showing the certain nutrients, such as omega-3 fatty acids found in certain fish and other foods, can reduce inflammation.
A healthy diet should consist of whole grains, vegetables and fruits, poultry, fish, beans, pea and nuts and contain 300 miligrams or less of daily cholesterol.
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Download an Arthritis & Heart Disease Tip Sheet (pdf)
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