Can Drinking Enough Water Reduce the Risk of Heart Attack?

We are always advised to drink enough water as it’s known to improve overall health. But did you know that drinking an adequate amount of water can also prevent you from the risk of heart problems?

According to ESC Congress 2021, staying hydrated throughout your life can prevent the risk of developing heart failure. Water is crucial for improving your heart health. Your heart works constantly, pumping about 2,000 gallons of blood every day. When you stay hydrated, you are helping your heart to do its job better.

The research study suggested that drinking eight glasses of water a day can reduce the risk of heart failure 25 years later. On August 24, the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2021, also advised maintaining good hydration to slow down or even change within the heart that can result in heart failure.

The Effect of Dehydration on Your Heart

Dehydration happens when you lose more fluid through sweating, illness, fever or urination than you generally consume in food and water. Dehydration can affect your organs and bodily function, including your heart and cardiovascular system.

Dehydration causes major changes in your heart. When you are dehydrated, the amount of blood circulating decreases through your body, or blood volume. As a result, your heart beats faster, causing palpitations and making your blood retain more sodium, making it difficult for it to circulate through your body.

How much water should you drink?

The recommended amount of water for women is about 3.7 litres and 2.7 litres a day for women, according to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.. This amount includes all the types of fluid your intake, including beverages and even food, about 20% of your fluid comes from the food.

The serum sodium level is a measurement of the amount of sodium present in your body. The less your serum sodium will be, the more hydrated you are. You can use this test to determine how hydrated you are to improve your heart health.

In addition to water, beverages such as milk, herbal tea, juice, and milkshakes that are composed of water to a certain extent are also recommended. Solid food items that you consume from day to day, especially fruits and vegetables can provide a considerable amount of water. Cucumbers and watermelons are great examples of fruits and vegetables that contain a high amount of water.

On the contrary, many processed foods, such as chips, cake, biscuits, breakfast cereals and more are deprived of moisture and contain loads of salt. Consuming an excess amount of salt thickens your blood, making it difficult for your blood to circulate through your body. To remove the excess amount of salt, your body requires more liquid.

Caffeinated drinks such as coffee and soda can also contribute to your daily water intake, but caffeine also acts as a diuretic and can cause you to lose more fluids. It can increase sugar intake and inhibit the body from getting more water. Alcoholic drinks are also diuretics so when you are drinking these beverages, make sure to drink plenty of water to keep a balance.

Sports drinks contain a high amount of added sugar and calories and should be consumed when you are working out/exercising intensively for several hours. During longer periods of exercise, these drinks replenish electrolytes and sugar lost through perspiration. Although energy drinks are different from sports drinks, they contain a large amount of caffeine and other stimulants such as sugar and additives.

Conclusion

Dehydration can cause increased heart rate and increase your chances of developing arrhythmias like Atrial Fibrillation may increase the risk of heart disease. It’s important to monitor how much water you drink daily and how your heart is doing. You can monitor your heart using KardiaMobile 6L, the world’s first and only US FDA cleared 6 lead portable ECG machine. You can take a medical-grade ECG and detect possible arrhythmias in just 30 seconds, anywhere, anytime.