The Top 3 Risks for Heart Disease
- High blood pressure. Millions of Americans of all ages have high blood pressure. Having uncontrolled high blood pressure is one of the biggest risks for heart disease and other harmful conditions, such as stroke.
- High blood cholesterol. High cholesterol can increase the risk for heart disease. Having diabetes and obesity, smoking, eating unhealthy foods, and not getting enough physical activity can all contribute to unhealthy cholesterol levels.
- Smoking. More than 37 million U.S. adults are current smokers, and thousands of young people start smoking each day. Smoking damages the blood vessels and can cause heart disease.
Diet and Food Choices
A Mediterranean-style diet can play a big role in preventing heart disease and stroke and reducing risk factors such as obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.
- plenty of fruits, vegetables, bread and other grains, potatoes, beans, nuts and seeds;
- olive oil as a primary fat source; and
- dairy products, eggs, fish and poultry in low to moderate amounts.
Blood Pressure
According to the CDC, nearly 1 in 2 adults has high blood pressure, yet only about 1 in 4 has it under control to130/80 mm Hg. Learn more about preventing high blood pressure and high cholesterol and make an appointment with your provider.
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4 Best Practices for Heart Health
Manage High Blood Pressure and High Cholesterol. Work with your health care team to manage conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Learn more about preventing and managing high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
Eat food low in trans-fat, saturated fat, added sugar and sodium. Try to fill at least half your plate with vegetables and fruits, and aim for low sodium options. Learn more about how to reduce sodium.
Stay active. Get moving for at least 150 minutes per week. You can even break up the 30 minutes into 10-minute blocks. Learn more about how to get enough physical activity.
Get Support to Stop Smoking. Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. If you don’t smoke, don’t start. If you do smoke, learn how to quit.
4 conditions and behaviors that affect your risk for heart disease:
- Obesity. Carrying extra weight puts stress on the heart. More than 1 in 3 Americans—and nearly 1 in 6 children ages 2 to 19—has obesity.
- Diabetes. Nearly 1 in 10 people in the United States has diabetes.
- Physical inactivity. Only 1 in 5 adults meets the physical activity guidelines of getting 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity activity.
- Unhealthy eating patterns. Most Americans, including children, eat too much sodium (salt), which increases blood pressure. Diet high in trans-fat, saturated fat, and added sugar increases the risk factor for heart disease.
When you choose healthy behaviors, you can lower your heart disease risk while also preventing other serious chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes and some kinds of cancer.
