How to Avoid Heart Disease

Heart disease is recognized as the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. You can reduce your chances of developing heart disease by keeping your blood pressure and cholesterol under control. It is important to maintain a healthy heart.

There are 3 general categories of people who are at highest risk for developing this disease:

- women age 55 or older

- men age 45 or older

- someone in your family had early heart disease

Heart disease can be prevented. To help prevent this disease:

- watch your weight

- do not smoke

- do not inhale secondhand smoke

- control your cholesterol

- control your blood pressure

- drink alcohol only in moderation

- maintain an active lifestyle

- eat a diet of healthy foods

The most common type of heart disease is coronary artery disease (CAD). The symptoms of CAD are that arteries transporting blood to your heart become squeezed or blocked. This is caused by cholesterol and plaque building up inside the arteries.

Arteries with plaque have difficulty flowing blood to the heart. Plaque is caused by:

- smoking

- cholesterol and fat in the bloodstream

- high blood pressure

- diabetes (too much sugar in the bloodstream)

Chest pain or a heart attack can be the result of a blocked artery. A heart attack is caused by a blockage of blood flow to the heart which often causes part of the heart muscle to die.

Since we know that high blood pressure and cholesterol levels can cause heart disease and heart attack, there are two important checks you should be aware of:

1

Check your cholesterol levels. Adults should get their cholesterol checked a minimum of once every 5 years. Men and women who have been advised they are at risk for heart disease need to get checked more frequently.

2

Check your blood pressure. Every adult needs to have their blood pressure checked on a regular basis - at least once every 2 years. Since high blood pressure has no signs or symptoms, the only way to know for sure is to get is checked

You can reduce your chances of getting this disease by quitting smoking. Immediately after quitting, your risk of developing heart disease decreases every day.

Many people take aspirin to improve the flow of blood to their hearts and brains. This reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke. Discuss this with your doctor to see if taking aspirin is the best choice for you.

You might also be able to avoid heart disease by maintaining a reasonable weight. If you are overweight, you stand a greater chance of having high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Maintain a healthy weight by balancing the calories you consume and the calories you burn.

It will be easier to maintain a reasonable weight if you maintain a healthy diet, including foods that are low in fat, cholesterol, and sodium.

By remaining physically active you can reduce your chances of developing heart disease. Try to get 2 or 3 hours of moderate aerobic activity each week, including activities such as walking fast, dancing, and biking.

You can do almost anything you want as long as you practice moderation. This includes drinking alcohol. A moderate amount of alcohol for women means no more than one drink per day, and for men no more than two drinks per day.

And finally, managing stress can help to reduce serious health problems such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and depression.