Exercising, eating a well-balanced diet, and managing your blood pressure are some of the ways to help you prevent heart disease.
Heart disease refers to a group of conditions that affect your heart, some of which include:
- coronary heart disease
- heart failure
- arrhythmia
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Trusted Source. In 2021, it was responsible for 1 in 5 deaths.
Two types of risk factors could increase your risk of heart disease.
Non-modifiable risk factors are those you can’t control, such as genetics.
On the other hand, modifiable risk factors are those you can control and that may play the biggest role in heart disease. For example, nearly halfTrusted Source of the American population has at least one heart disease risk factor, including:
- smoking
- high blood pressure
- high cholesterol
Keep reading to learn more about ways to help reduce your risk of developing heart disease.
Quit smoking, if you smoke
Smoking is one of the biggest risk factors for heart disease. Yet, it’s the most preventable cause of the condition, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood InstituteTrusted Source.
Smoking causes a buildup of plaqueTrusted Source, a fatty substance, in the arteries. These are blood vessels responsible for circulating oxygen-rich blood from your heart to the rest of your body.
If too much plaque builds up in your arteries they could eventually harden, leading to complications like heart attack and atherosclerosis.
Smoking may also increase your risk of heart disease in several other ways, such asTrusted Source:
- damaging your organs
- reducing the amount of good cholesterol
- increasing blood pressure
ResearchTrusted Source suggests that smoking cessation can greatly help reduce your risk of heart disease. The benefits of quitting smoking are also quite sudden, according to the CDCTrusted Source.
If you smoke, speak with a healthcare professional about cessation. They could help you develop a smoking cessation program and build a support network.
Nutrition and diet
Diet is a modifiable factor that may play a key roleTrusted Source in preventing heart disease, even if you have a family history or genetic predisposition.
Below is a table of foods to eat and foods to avoid to help prevent heart disease, according to the American Heart Association (AHA)Trusted Source:
