Heart Disease: How to Prevent It

Heart disease is the top cause of death for both males and females. The most common type of heart disease is coronary artery disease (CAD). CAD happens when the blood vessels to your heart get narrow or blocked.

You can take steps to lower your risk of heart disease.

How can heart disease affect me?

• Chest pain.
• Trouble breathing.
• Feeling tired.
• Trouble exercising well.

• CAD.
• Heart attack.
• Uneven heartbeats.
• Heart failure.
• Stroke.

What can increase my risk?

• High blood pressure.
• High cholesterol.
• Obesity.
• Diabetes.
• A family history of heart disease.

• Smoking.
• Lack of physical activity.
• A diet high in saturated or trans fats.
• Drinking too much alcohol.

What actions can I take to prevent heart disease?

Nutrition

Follow a heart-healthy eating plan, such as the DASH eating plan, as told by your health care provider. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. This plan recommends that you:

• Eat less salt (sodium).
  • Ask your provider how much sodium is safe for you.
  • Most people should have less than 2,300 mg each day, gradually moving towards less than 1,500 mg a day.
• Limit unhealthy fats like saturated and trans fats by:
  • Eating dairy products that are low in fat.
  • Eating less red meat.
  • Avoiding pre-packaged, or processed, foods.
• Eat more healthy fats found in fish like mackerel or salmon.
• Eat more fruits and vegetables. Try to fill half of your plate with them at each meal.
• Eat more whole grains.
• Avoid foods and drinks with added sugars. Limit added sugar to:
  • Less than 25 grams a day for females.
  • Less than 36 grams a day for males.

Lifestyle

• Get regular exercise.
  • Exercise for at least 150 minutes each week (30 minutes a day, 5 days a week). The exercise should be hard enough to cause your heart to beat faster.
  • Add strength exercises on at least 2 days each week.
• Do not smoke, vape, or use nicotine or tobacco. These can harm your heart and blood vessels.

Alcohol use

• Do not drink alcohol if:
  • Your provider tells you not to drink.
  • You're pregnant, may be pregnant, or plan to become pregnant.
• If you drink alcohol:
  • Limit how much you have to:
    • 0–1 drink a day if you're female.
    • 0–2 drinks a day if you're male.
  • Know how much alcohol is in your drink. In the U.S., one drink is one 12 oz bottle of beer (355 mL), one 5 oz glass of wine (148 mL), or one 1½ oz glass of hard liquor (44 mL).

Medicines

• Take your medicines only as told.
• Take aspirin only as told by your provider. Make sure that you know how much to take and what type to take.
• Your provider may give you medicines to lower your risk of heart disease or control related problems. You may take medicines to:
  • Lower cholesterol.
  • Control blood pressure.
  • Control diabetes.

General information

• Keep your blood pressure within the range given to you by your provider.
  • Have it checked at least once every 2 years.
  • Get it checked more often if you have high blood pressure.
• After age 20, have your cholesterol checked every 4–6 years.
  • If you have risk factors for heart disease, you may need it checked more often.
  • Treatment may be needed if your cholesterol is high.
• Talk to your provider about losing weight if needed, or keeping a healthy weight.
  • Have your body mass index (BMI) checked each year.
  • Your provider can calculate your BMI from your height and weight.
• Measure around your waist. It should be:
  • No more than 35 inches (89 cm) for females who aren't pregnant.
  • No more than 40 inches (102 cm) for males.

Where to find more information:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at CDC.gov. Then:
  1. Click "Search" and type "heart disease."
  2. Find the link you need.
• American Heart Association: heart.org