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You can reduce your risk of heart disease and heart attack and maintain normal blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels by leading a healthy lifestyle.

Choose healthy habits

Select nutritious meals and drinks.

To help prevent heart disease and its complications, choose nutritious meals and snacks. Reduce your intake of processed foods and increase your intake of fresh produce.

• Heart disease may be exacerbated by consuming a lot of meals high in trans and saturated fat.
• High cholesterol can be avoided by eating foods low in cholesterol, trans fats, and saturated fats and high in fiber.
• Reducing your intake of salt (sodium) can also help lower blood pressure.
• Reducing the amount of sugar in your diet can help prevent or manage diabetes by lowering blood sugar levels.
• Avoid excessive alcohol consumption as it may cause your blood pressure to rise.

Maintain a healthy weight.

Obesity and overweight increase the risk of heart disease. The heart and blood arteries may experience increased strain if you are overweight.

You can compute your Body Mass Index (BMI) to see whether your weight is within a healthy range.

Engage in regular exercise.

You can lower your blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and blood sugar levels and maintain a healthy weight by exercising. The Surgeon General advises individuals to engage in moderate-intensity exercise, such as brisk walking or cycling, for two hours and thirty minutes each week. Every day, kids and teenagers should engage in physical activity for an hour.

Avoid smoking.

The risk of heart disease is significantly increased by cigarette smoking. Don’t start if you don’t smoke. Giving up smoking will reduce your risk of heart disease if you currently smoke. You can get support quitting from your doctor.

Take control of your health issues.

You can reduce your risk of heart disease if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol.

Examine your cholesterol levels.

At least once every four to six years, your medical team should check your blood cholesterol levels. You might need to have your cholesterol examined more frequently if you have a family history of high cholesterol or have previously been diagnosed with the condition. Discuss this easy blood test with your medical staff. Medication and lifestyle modifications can help lower your risk of heart disease if you have high cholesterol.

Manage your blood pressure.

Since high blood pressure rarely exhibits any signs, it is advisable to have it checked frequently. If you have never had high blood pressure or other heart disease risk factors, your medical team should take your blood pressure at least once every two years.

Your medical team will take your blood pressure more frequently if you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, commonly known as hypertension, to ensure that the disease is under control. Discuss the frequency of blood pressure checks with your medical team. You can check it at home, in a pharmacy, or at a doctor’s office.

Your medical team may suggest lifestyle modifications, such as cutting back on sodium in your diet, if you have high blood pressure. Additionally, your doctor can recommend medication to assist lower your blood pressure.

Control your diabetes.

Keep a close eye on your blood sugar levels if you have diabetes. Discuss your treatment options with your medical team. To help you maintain control over your blood sugar, your doctor could suggest specific lifestyle adjustments. You can lower your risk of heart disease by doing these steps.

Take your medicines as directed

If you take medicine to treat high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, or diabetes, follow your doctor’s instructions carefully. Always ask questions if you don’t understand something. Never stop taking your medicine without first talking to your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist.

Work with your health care team

You and your health care team can work together to prevent or treat the medical conditions that lead to heart disease. Discuss your treatment plan regularly, and bring a list of questions to your appointments. Talk with your health care team about how heart disease and mental health disorders are related.

If you’ve already had a heart attack, your health care team will work with you to prevent another one. Your treatment plan may include medicines or surgery and lifestyle changes to reduce your risk. Be sure to take your medicines as directed and follow your doctor’s instructions.