A risk factor is something about you that increases your chance of getting a disease or having a certain health condition. Some risk factors for heart disease you cannot change, but some you can. Changing the risk factors that you have control over will help you live a longer, healthier life.
Some of the things about you that increase your risk of getting heart disease that you CANNOT change are:
Some of the risks for heart disease that you CAN change are:
Good nutrition is important to your heart health and will help control some of your risk factors.
See also:
Follow these guidelines and the advice of your doctor to lower your chances of developing heart disease.
Heart disease - prevention
Gaziano M, Manson JE, Ridker PM. Primary and secondary prevention of coronary heart disease. In: Libby P, Bonow RO, Mann DL, Braunwald E, Zipes DP, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine, 8th ed. Saunders; 2007:chap 45.
Updated by: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
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