Get Heart Healthy

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Some of the factors that put you at risk for heart disease can't be controlled, but other factors are easily controllable. Practice these heart healthy behaviors to reduce your risk of developing heart disease:

Stop smoking. If you smoke, quit. If someone in your household smokes, encourage them to quit.

Reduce blood cholesterol. Make healthy food choices. Limit fat, sodium sugar and caffeine in your diet. If diet and exercise alone don’t reduce your cholesterol, medication may help. Take it regularly as prescribed.

Lower high blood pressure. Reduce your sodium intake and take any medication the doctor recommends exactly as prescribed. The optimal goal is less than 120/80 mmHg.

Exercise Regularly. Research has shown that getting 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity on most days of the week can help lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol and keep your weight at a healthy level. But something IS better than nothing.

Maintain a healthy weight. A combination of good food choices and regular physical activity is the key to maintaining a healthy weight. Obesity places you at risk for high cholesterol, high blood pressure and insulin resistance, a precursor of type 2 diabetes — the very factors that heighten your risk of cardiovascular disease.

Manage diabetes. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of diabetes-related death. People with diabetes are two to four times more likely to develop cardiovascular disease. If you already have diabetes, manage it appropriately under your physician's care.

Reduce stress. Medical research indicates a relationship between coronary heart disease risk and stress level that may increase the risk factors for heart disease and stroke. Someone under stress may overeat, start smoking or smoke more than they otherwise would.

Limit alcohol. Drinking too much alcohol can raise blood pressure, increasing the risk of heart attack or stroke. The risk of heart disease in people who drink moderate amounts of alcohol (an average of one drink for women or two drinks for men per day) is lower than in nondrinkers. However, it’s not recommended that nondrinkers start using alcohol or that drinkers increase the amount they drink.