Heart Disease Prevention

There are many factors that can contribute to a person getting heart disease but luckily there are always ways to prevent this very prevalent disease.

Eat a healthy diet: Choosing healthful meal and snack options can help you avoid heart disease and its complications.  Eating foods low in saturated fat and cholesterol and high in fiber can help prevent high blood cholesterol.  Limiting sodium intake can also help lower blood pressure.  It is also important to choose plenty of fruits and vegetables everyday when maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Maintain a healthy weight: Being overweight or obese can increase a person's risk for heart disease.  To determine whether a person's weight is in a healthy range, doctors often calculate a number called Body Mass Index (BMI).  To calculate your BMI use the equation and chart below.

Exercise Regularly: Physical activity can help a person maintain a healthy weight, lower cholesterol and lower blood pressure.  The Surgeon General recommends adults engage in moderate-intensity exercise for 2 hours and 30 minutes every week.  Physical activity is anything that makes you move your body and burn calories.  This includes jogging, biking, climbing stairs, walking, swimming, playing sports, etc.

Quit Smoking: Cigarette smoking greatly increases a person's risk of getting heart disease.  Smoking also raises a person's risk of getting a number of other health problems such as high cholesterol, various types of cancers and stroke.

Limit Alcohol Use: Drinking too much alcohol can increase a person's risk of getting high blood pressure which is a huge risk factor in obtaining heart disease.

_{-Centers for Disease Control & Prevention}