Heart Disease Prevention: What You Can Do
In principle, all people can take steps to lower their risk for heart disease and
heart attack. Prevent and control high blood cholesterol
High blood cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease. Preventing
and treating high blood cholesterol includes eating a diet low in saturated
fat and cholesterol and high in fiber, keeping a healthy weight, and
getting regular exercise. All adults should have their cholesterol levels
checked once every five years. If yours is high, your doctor may prescribe
medicines to help lower it. See our
cholesterol fact sheet.
Prevent and control high blood pressure
Lifestyle actions such as healthy diet, regular physical activity, not
smoking, and healthy weight will help you to keep normal blood pressure
levels and all adults should have their blood pressure checked on a regular
basis.
Blood pressure is easily checked. If your blood pressure is high, you can
work with your doctor to treat it and bring it down to the normal range. A high blood pressure can usually be
controlled with lifestyle changes and with medicines when needed. See our
high blood pressure fact
sheet. Prevent and control diabetes
People with diabetes have an increased risk of heart disease but can reduce their
risk. Also, people can take steps to reduce
their risk for diabetes in the first place, through weight loss and regular physical
activity. For more information about diabetes, see
CDC's diabetes program Web site.
No tobacco
Smoking increases the risk of high blood
pressure, heart disease, and stroke. Never smoking is one of the best things a
person can do to lower their risk. And, quitting smoking will also help
lower a person’s risk of heart disease. A person's risk of heart attack
decreases soon after quitting. If you smoke, your doctor can suggest programs
to help you quit smoking. For more information about tobacco
use and quitting, see CDC's tobacco
intervention and prevention source Web site. Moderate alcohol use
Excessive alcohol use increases the risk of high blood pressure, heart
attack, and stroke. People
who drink should do so only in moderation and always responsibly. More information on alcohol can be
found at CDC's alcohol and public
health Web site.
Maintain a healthy weight
Healthy weight status in adults is usually assessed by using weight and
height to compute a number called the "body mass index" (BMI). BMI
usually indicates the amount of body fat. An adult who
has a BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese. Overweight is a BMI between
25 and 29.9. Normal weight is a BMI of 18 to 24.9. Proper diet and regular
physical activity can help to maintain a healthy weight. You can compute
your BMI at
CDC's nutrition and physical activity program Web site.
Regular physical activity
Adults should engage in moderate level
physical activities for at least 30 minutes on most days of the week.
For more information, see
CDC's
nutrition and physical activity program Web site. Diet and nutrition
Along with healthy weight and regular physical activity, an overall healthy
diet can help to lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels and prevent
obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. This includes
eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, lowering or cutting out added salt or
sodium, and eating less saturated fat and cholesterol to lower these risks. For more
information, see
CDC's
nutrition and physical activity program Web site. Related Guidelines and Recommendations
The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection,
Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure from the National Heart,
Blood, and Lung Institute Web site.
Third Report of the Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of
High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III) from the
National Heart, Blood, and Lung Institute Web site.
Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of
Overweight and Obesity in Adults from the National Heart, Lung, and
Blood Institute Web site.
Physical Activity and Health: A Report of the Surgeon General
This report brings together, for the first time, what has been learned about
physical activity and health from decades of research.
Surgeon General's Reports Related to Tobacco Use
List of reports concerning smoking and health, including reports on tobacco
use among ethnic groups and young people.
Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005
Dietary Guidelines for Americans is published jointly every 5 years by the
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of
Agriculture (USDA).
Page last reviewed: November 15, 2007
Page last modified: November 15, 2007
Content source: Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention,
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and
Health Promotion
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