Preventing Heart Disorders
Treat or, when possible, eliminate risk factors that may lead to cardiovascular disease or cardiac arrhythmias.

• Make healthy lifestyle choices. Living a “heart healthy” life is the best way to decrease the chances of developing heart disorders. Exercising regularly and eating a healthy, low-fat diet with plenty of vegetables, fruits and other vitamin-rich foods are the cornerstones of “heart healthy” living.
  
  
• Maintain a healthy weight
  
  
• Stop smoking and avoid secondhand smoke. Tobacco contributes to as much as one-third of all cardiovascular disease.
  
  
• Avoid or limit the intake of caffeine, alcohol and other substances that may contribute to arrhythmias or heart disease.
  
  
• Avoid unnecessary stress, such as anger, anxiety or fear, and find ways to manage or control stressful situations that cannot be avoided.
  
  
• Have regular physical exams and promptly report any unusual symptoms to a physician.
  
  
• Seek treatment for underlying health problems that may contribute to arrhythmias and heart disease. Problems include atherosclerosis (“clogged” arteries), heart valve damage, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and thyroid disease.