Heart disease is the leading cause of the death in the U.S. Over one quarter of all deaths are from heart disease. It is also a major cause of disability. The risk of heart disease increases as you age. You have a greater risk of heart disease if you are a man over age 45 or a woman over age 55. You also are at greater risk if you have a close family member who had heart disease at an early age.
Fortunately, there are many things you can do reduce your chances of getting heart disease. You should
- Know your blood pressure and keep it under control
- Exercise regularly
- Don't smoke
- Get tested for diabetes and if you have it, keep it under control
- Know your cholesterol and triglyceride levels and keep them under control
- Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables
- Maintain a healthy weight
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Ounce of Prevention: A Guide to Heart Health
(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - Large PDF file - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/prof/heart/latino/foto_eng.pdf
Also available in Spanish http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/prof/heart/latino/foto_sp.pdf -
Your Guide to Physical Activity and Your Heart(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - Large PDF file - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/phy_active.htm
- 5 Medication-Free Strategies to Help Prevent Heart Disease(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/heart-disease-prevention/WO00041/METHOD=print
- How to Keep Your Heart Healthy(Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2003/603_heart.html
- Risk Factors and Coronary Heart Disease(American Heart Association) - http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4726
- Breast-Feeding a Boon to Mom's Heart(04/21/2009, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_83182.html
- Laughter May Lower Heart Attack Risk in Diabetics(04/17/2009, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_83059.html
- Review Confirms Links Between Diet, Heart Health(04/13/2009, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_82843.html
- More News on Heart Diseases--Prevention http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/alphanews_h.html#heartdiseasesprevention
- Cardiac Risk Assessment(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/cardiac_risk/glance.html
- Cholesterol Test(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/cholesterol/test.html
- hs-CRP (High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein)(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/hscrp/test.html
- Antioxidant Vitamins(American Heart Association) - http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4452
- Cholesterol: The Top 5 Foods to Lower Your Numbers(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/cholesterol/CL00002/METHOD=print
- Count Your Fat Grams Worksheet(Women's Heart Foundation) - http://www.womensheart.org/content/Nutrition/counting_fat_grams.asp
- Dietary Fiber: An Essential Part of a Healthy Diet(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/fiber/NU00033/METHOD=print
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Eating for a Healthy Heart
(Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.fda.gov/opacom/lowlit/hlyheart.html
Also available in Spanish http://www.fda.gov/opacom/lowlit/shlyhart.pdf -
Heart-Healthy Home Cooking: African American Style(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - Large PDF file - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/other/chdblack/cooking.pdf
- Homocysteine, Folic Acid, and Cardiovascular Disease(American Heart Association) - http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4677
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How Can I Cook Healthfully?(American Heart Association) - Links to PDF - http://www.americanheart.org/downloadable/heart/110158458781216%20HowCanICookHealthfully.pdf
Also available in Spanish http://www.americanheart.org/downloadable/heart/110186717395316-Cook%20Healthfully.pdf
- Mediterranean Diet(American Heart Association) - http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4644
- Omega-3 in Fish: How Eating Fish Helps Your Heart(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/omega-3/HB00087/METHOD=print
- Plant Sterol Story: Using Food Choices to Help Manage Cholesterol(American Dietetic Association) - Links to PDF - http://www.eatright.org/ada/files/The_Plant_Sterol_Story.pdf
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Stay Young at Heart: Cooking the Heart-Healthy Way(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/other/syah/index.htm
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Stocking a Heart-Healthy Kitchen(Cleveland Clinic Foundation) - http://my.clevelandclinic.org/healthy_living/nutrition/hic_stocking_a_heart-healthy_kitchen.aspx
Also available in Spanish http://my.clevelandclinic.org/es_/healthy_living/nutrition/hic_stocking_a_heart-healthy_kitchen.aspx
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Alcohol, Wine and Cardiovascular Disease(American Heart Association) - http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4422
Also available in Spanish http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3042012
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Check Your Physical Activity & Heart Disease I.Q.(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/phy_act.htm
- Check-Up America: Know Your Risk, Lower Your Risk for Diabetes and Heart Disease(American Diabetes Association) - http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-prevention/check-up-america.jsp
- Daily Aspirin Therapy: Understand the Benefits and Risks(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/daily-aspirin-therapy/HB00073/METHOD=print
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Exercising for a Healthy Life
(Patient Education Institute) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/exercisingforahealthylife/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/exercisingforahealthylifespanish/htm/index.htm - Grape Juice: Same Heart Benefits as Wine?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/food-and-nutrition/AN00576/METHOD=print
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How Can I Manage My Weight?(American Heart Association) - Links to PDF - http://www.americanheart.org/downloadable/heart/110167860217928%20ManageMyWeight.pdf
Also available in Spanish http://www.americanheart.org/downloadable/heart/110186745572528-Manage%20My%20Weight.pdf
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How Can I Manage Stress?(American Heart Association) - Links to PDF - http://www.americanheart.org/downloadable/heart/110167971464923%20HowCanIManageStress.pdf
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Managing Cholesterol(Patient Education Institute) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/managingcholesterol/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/managingcholesterolspanish/htm/index.htm
- Preventing Heart Disease: Making Lifestyle Changes(American Medical Association) - http://www.medem.com/medlb/article_detaillb.cfm?article_ID=ZZZJO7ZO07C&sub_cat=271
- Triglycerides: Why Do They Matter?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/triglycerides/CL00015/METHOD=print
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Why Should I Lose Weight?(American Heart Association) - Links to PDF - http://www.americanheart.org/downloadable/heart/110167806221831%20WhyShldILoseWeight.pdf
- For Your Heart(National Women's Health Information Center) - http://womenshealth.gov/ForYourHeart/
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Learn and Live Quiz(American Heart Association) - http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3018118
Also available in Spanish http://www.americanheart.org/downloadable/heart/1078942183768AprendayVivaMas.pdf
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Exercising for a Healthy Life(Patient Education Institute) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/exercisingforahealthylife/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/exercisingforahealthylifespanish/htm/index.htm
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Managing Cholesterol(Patient Education Institute) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/managingcholesterol/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/managingcholesterolspanish/htm/index.htm
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ALLHAT: New Findings about Drugs to Lower High Blood Pressure and Cholesterol(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/allhat/facts.htm
- Most Americans Don't Know "Better Fats" Benefit Heart Health(American Heart Association) - http://americanheart.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=479
- Omega-6 Fatty Acids: Make Them a Part of Heart-Healthy Eating(American Heart Association) - http://americanheart.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=650
- Relatives of Heart Patients Improve Health with Hospital-Based Systems Approach to Screening, Counseling(American Heart Association) - http://americanheart.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=595
- Study Finds Folic Acid Not Cardioprotective, Though Safe(American Heart Association) - http://americanheart.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=580
- Two Antioxidant Vitamins Don't Protect against Heart Disease(American Heart Association) - http://americanheart.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=583
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What Aspirin Dose Is Safest and Most Effective for Preventing Heart Disease?(American College of Physicians) - Links to PDF - http://www.annals.org/cgi/reprint/150/6/I-22.pdf
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: A systematic review of the evidence supporting a causal link... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19364995&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Cardiovascular risk estimation and eligibility for statins in primary prevention... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19361595&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: More whole grains, fewer dairy products and eggs reduce heart... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19358322&tool=MedlinePlus
- Heart Diseases--Prevention -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=((preventive+health+services[majr:noexp]+OR+primary+prevention[majr:noexp]+AND+heart+diseases[majr])+OR+heart+diseases/pc[majr]+NOT+atrial+fibrillation[mh])+AND+humans[mh]+english[la]+AND+(jsubsetk[text]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+jsubsetn[text]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Cardiac Glossary(American Heart Association) - http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3038158
- Deciphering Heart Disease Medspeak(Medical Library Association) - Links to PDF - http://www.mlanet.org/pdf/heart-disease1.pdf
- American Heart Association - http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1200000
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National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/
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Healthy Heart Handbook for Women(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - Large PDF file - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/other/hhw/hdbk_wmn.pdf
- Heart Disease in Women: Understand Symptoms and Risk Factors(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/heart-disease/HB00040/METHOD=print
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Heart Truth(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/hearttruth/
- Cholesterol - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/cholesterol.html
- Healthy Living - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/healthyliving.html
- Heart Diseases - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/heartdiseases.html
- Blood, Heart and Circulation - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/bloodheartandcirculation.html
- Wellness and Lifestyle - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/wellnessandlifestyle.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Heart Diseases--Prevention is the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/
Heart Diseases--Prevention - Multiple Languages - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/languages/heartdiseasesprevention.html