Heart Disease: Risks and Prevention

December 17, 2024

Did you know that heart disease is one of the leading causes of death worldwide? Learn how to prevent the chances of suffering from heart disease through controlling risk factors and leading a healthier lifestyle.

People with certain risk factors are more likely than others to develop coronary artery disease. Having one or more risk factors does not mean that a person will get coronary artery disease. It is also possible to develop the condition without any risk factors.

Your health care provider will talk to you about your personal risk factors. Some risk factors for heart disease cannot be controlled. Age is a risk factor. Men age 45 or older and women age 55 or older have a higher risk for heart disease. Family history is also a risk factor for heart disease that cannot be controlled. Your risk of heart disease is higher if you have:

A father or brother who developed heart disease before age 55.
A mother or sister who developed heart disease before age 65.

There are many risk factors that you can control that contribute to the narrowing of the coronary arteries. The major risk factors for atherosclerosis include: Unhealthy cholesterol levels, poor diet, high blood pressure, smoking, lack of exercise, stress, being overweight or obese, and diabetes. Eating Healthy Eating certain foods can increase your risk for heart disease, while eating other foods can decrease your risk. Eating right is an important step to lower your risk of coronary artery disease. You can help keep your heart healthy by eating more nutrient-rich foods, and less refined, processed and fast foods.

Vegetables and fruit are good sources of vitamins and minerals. They are also low in calories and rich in dietary fiber. Eating more vegetables may fill you up so you eat less of other less healthy foods and reduce your risk for heart disease. Eating the right types of fat can help you prevent heart disease.

Getting the right balance of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids is important. Healthy sources of fat include: Avocados, olive oil, salmon and other fatty fish, and raw nuts and seeds. Nuts and legumes, such as beans, peas and lentils are good sources of protein. Lean animal products, such as skim milk, low-fat cheese and lean meats and poultry are also good sources of protein. Limit foods with saturated fat, such as egg yolk, full-fat dairy products, full-fat cheese and red meat.

Avoiding certain foods can help you prevent heart disease. Foods to avoid include:

Fried foods.
Processed foods, such as chips and baked goods.
Anything that contains trans fat. Trans fat is found in many man-made products, such as baked goods, margarine, coffee creamer and fried foods.

Food labels may list 0 grams of trans fat, but if the ingredient list contains the words "partially hydrogenated," it does contain some trans fat. Any amount of trans fat is dangerous.

Controlling Blood Pressure

High blood pressure, also called hypertension, contributes to the narrowing of the blood vessels of the heart, brain and kidneys. It can lead to heart attacks, strokes and kidney failure. Hypertension may not have any symptoms. It is important to have your blood pressure checked often. Salt can increase blood pressure, so limit the amount of sodium you eat.

Quitting Smoking

Smoking is a major risk factor for heart disease, lung cancer, emphysema, and strokes. Quitting smoking can be hard. But many programs have been developed to help people stop smoking. Talk to your health care provider about a plan to help you quit.

Exercising

Exercise can help you control your weight and decrease stress levels. This can help lower your cholesterol levels and your blood pressure. Talk to your health care provider before starting an exercise program. Your health care provider can help you plan an exercise routine that is right for you. If you haven't been active for a while, start slowly and build up the intensity gradually. Ask your health care provider what kind of exercise goals you can safely set for yourself.

Weight Management

Being overweight or obese can increase your risk for heart disease, as well as diabetes and hypertension. A well-balanced diet and regular exercise can help you control your weight. Lose weight slowly. Losing weight over a longer period of time may help you keep it off. Your health care provider or nutritionist can help you achieve your goal weight. The key to successful weight loss is a commitment to making permanent changes in your diet and exercise habits.

Managing Stress

Heart attacks are more common in people who do not cope well with stress. Though you cannot always control things that cause stress, you can learn how to manage stress. This can help reduce your risk of heart disease. To manage stress, be aware of the situations that cause it. Once you identify the situations that cause you stress, you have several options for coping.

Stress has many causes. You may feel stressed by:

Your routine. This includes stress caused by work, family and other daily responsibilities.
Sudden life changes, such as job loss, divorce or illness.

Avoiding stressful situations can sometimes help prevent stress. If traffic jams upset you, try to avoid driving during rush hour.

Sometimes it is not possible to avoid situations that cause stress. Instead, practice making a stressful situation positive. For example, listen to your favorite music during rush hour traffic.

Breathing techniques are simple and effective ways of controlling stress. Consciously breathing more slowly and deeply while focusing on the positive can help a person relax.

Learning other ways to relax can help manage stress. Many people benefit from daily practice of stress reduction techniques, such as mindfulness, Tai chi or yoga, or meditation.

Exercising regularly can help reduce stress. Getting enough sleep may also reduce stress caused by tiredness.

Seeking support and help from family and friends can also help prevent stress.

Knowing Your Other Risk Factors

Other risk factors can also contribute to heart disease. A family history of heart disease increases the chance of having heart problems. A high level of LDL cholesterol in the blood or a low level of HDL cholesterol is another risk factor for heart disease. People with diabetes have a higher risk of developing heart disease. Diabetes is a disease where the body is unable to handle digested food normally. This causes a rise in blood glucose, also called blood sugar. If diagnosed early, diabetes may be prevented or controlled through diet, medication exercise, and weight management.

Visit the Heart and Vascular page to learn more about our heart and blood vessel treatments, services, and procedures and to view profiles of our Heart and Vascular physician experts.

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