Even a small weight loss can be good prevenfion you. Read more: Your Macronutrient sources for vegetarians/vegans to low Anti-blemish skincare eating and how to lower your Carbohydrates and Disease Risk pressure. Prevetion Z, Willett WC, Manson JE, et al. Estruch R, Ros E, Salas-Salvadó J, et al. In people who are not overweight, waist size may be an even more telling warning sign of increased health risks than BMI. It's a condition that can raise your risk of heart disease. Drinking too much alcohol can raise your blood pressure.

Heart disease prevention -

Eating too many calories and getting too little physical activity can increase your risk of becoming overweight or obese. Many people have a hard time losing weight.

Weight loss can help improve high blood pressure and cholesterol. It also can help control diabetes. Good nutrition, controlling calorie intake and being physically active can help you reach and maintain a healthy weight. Learn more about weight management.

Diabetes is a chronic lifelong condition. Even when blood glucose levels are kept under control, diabetes greatly increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. If you have diabetes, regular medical checkups are critical to help keep blood sugar under control. Work with your health care team to develop healthy eating habits, control your weight and get regular physical activity.

You also may need medicines to help control your blood sugar or insulin levels. The amount and quality of sleep you get can influence your eating habits, mood, memory, internal organs and more. Too much or too little can be harmful. Adults should aim for an average of 7 to 9 hours a night.

You can improve the quality of your sleep by being physically active during the day, establishing a bedtime routine, keeping your electronic devices out of the bedroom. Learn about healthy sleep. Stress may contribute to poor health behaviors, such as smoking or smoking more, overeating and not being physically active.

And chronic stress may lead to high blood pressure. All of these factors can increase your risk for heart disease and stroke. Find healthy ways to manage stress, such as exercising regularly, making time for friends and family, and practicing relaxation techniques.

Get stress management tips and tools. Drinking too much alcohol can raise blood pressure, increase cardiomyopathy, stroke, cancer and other diseases.

It can contribute to high triglycerides and produce irregular heartbeats. Excessive alcohol consumption also contributes to obesity, alcoholism, suicide and accidents.

Read our recommendation on alcohol. Written by American Heart Association editorial staff and reviewed by science and medicine advisors. See our editorial policies and staff. Heart Attack. About Heart Attacks. Warning Signs of a Heart Attack.

Angina Chest Pain. Understand Your Risks to Prevent a Heart Attack. Diagnosing a Heart Attack. Heart Attack Treatment. Life After a Heart Attack. Heart Attack Tools and Resources. Recovery becomes so much more manageable when you have the right kind of emotional support. Our online community of patients, survivors and caregivers is here to keep you going no matter the obstacles.

Home Health Topics Heart Attack Life After a Heart Attack Lifestyle Changes to Prevent a Heart Attack. Play without Auto-Play Play Video Text. Stop smoking If you smoke, quit. Choose good nutrition A healthy diet is one of the best weapons you have to fight heart disease.

Learn how to eat healthy. High blood cholesterol You've got to reduce your intake of saturated fat, avoid trans fat and get moving. However, your LDL number should not be the main factor in guiding treatment to prevent heart attack and stroke.

Your health care professional may recommend lifestyle changes and medication to lower your LDL if you have an increased risk for heart disease or stroke.

Walk, rake leaves, play a sport. Find ways to be active in your daily life. Get ideas and tips from the experts. Donate now. Risk and prevention. Lifestyle risk factors.

Unhealthy diet. Physical inactivity. Unhealthy weight. More on lifestyle risks. Conditions that are risk factors. Learn more about health conditions that can contribute to heart disease. High blood pressure High cholesterol Diabetes Atrial fibrillation Vascular cognitive impairment.

Risk factors you cannot control. Sex Your risk of heart disease and stroke increases after menopause Read more Age The older you are, the higher your risk of heart disease.

Family and Medical History If you have a close relative who has experienced heart disease at an early age, you are at an increased risk. Indigenous heritage First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples are more likely to have high blood pressure and diabetes.

Personal circumstances Personal circumstances and environmental factors have an influence on your health. Donate What we do. Eat a healthy diet Eating lots of veggies, cooking at home, limiting processed foods More on healthy eating Stay active Move more.

Get diseaxe physical activity to help you Macronutrient sources for vegetarians/vegans a healthy weight prrevention lower your Macronutrient sources for vegetarians/vegans pressure, Prevenion, and blood Hesrt levels. By living a healthy lifestyle, you preveniton help keep your blood pressure, Vegan antioxidant-rich foods, and blood sugar levels normal and lower your risk for heart disease and heart attack. Choose healthy meals and snacks to help prevent heart disease and its complications. Be sure to eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and fewer processed foods. Find healthy, seasonal recipes on the Million Hearts ® Recipes for a Heart-Healthy Lifestyle page. People with overweight or obesity have a higher risk for heart disease. Carrying extra weight can put extra stress on the heart and blood vessels.

Heart disease prevention -

Your risk of heart disease and stroke increases after menopause Read more. If you have a close relative who has experienced heart disease at an early age, you are at an increased risk. People of African or South Asian heritage are more likely to have high blood pressure, diabetes or other risk factors.

First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples are more likely to have high blood pressure and diabetes. This puts them at greater risk of heart disease. Personal circumstances and environmental factors have an influence on your health.

This includes things such as access to healthy food, safe drinking water, health services and social services. Eating lots of veggies, cooking at home, limiting processed foods these are all habits that protect your health.

Explore recipes, tips and more. Move more. Walk, rake leaves, play a sport. Find ways to be active in your daily life. Get ideas and tips from the experts. Donate now. Risk and prevention. Lifestyle risk factors. Unhealthy diet. Physical inactivity. Unhealthy weight. More on lifestyle risks.

Race or ethnicity. Certain groups have higher risks than others. African Americans are more likely than whites to have heart disease, while Hispanic Americans are less likely to have it. Some Asian groups, such as East Asians, have lower rates, but South Asians have higher rates.

Family history. You have a greater risk if you have a close family member who had heart disease at an early age. What can I do to lower my risk of heart disease? Fortunately, there are many things you can do to reduce your chances of getting heart disease: Control your blood pressure.

High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease. It is important to get your blood pressure checked regularly - at least once a year for most adults, and more often if you have high blood pressure.

Take steps, including lifestyle changes, to prevent or control high blood pressure. Keep your cholesterol and triglyceride levels under control. High levels of cholesterol can clog your arteries and raise your risk of coronary artery disease and heart attack.

Lifestyle changes and medicines if needed can lower your cholesterol. Triglycerides are another type of fat in the blood.

High levels of triglycerides may also raise the risk of coronary artery disease, especially in women. Stay at a healthy weight.

Being overweight or having obesity can increase your risk for heart disease. This is mostly because they are linked to other heart disease risk factors, including high blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Controlling your weight can lower these risks.

Eat a healthy diet. Try to limit saturated fats, foods high in sodium, and added sugars. Eat plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables, and whole grains.

The DASH diet is an example of an eating plan that can help you to lower your blood pressure and cholesterol, two things that can lower your risk of heart disease. Get regular exercise. Exercise has many benefits, including strengthening your heart and improving your circulation.

It can also help you maintain a healthy weight and lower cholesterol and blood pressure. All of these can lower your risk of heart disease. Limit alcohol. Drinking too much alcohol can raise your blood pressure.

It also adds extra calories, which may cause weight gain. Both of those raise your risk of heart disease. Men should have no more than two alcoholic drinks per day, and women should not have more than one.

Don't smoke. Cigarette smoking raises your blood pressure and puts you at higher risk for heart attack and stroke. If you do not smoke, do not start. If you do smoke, quitting will lower your risk for heart disease.

You can talk with your health care provider for help in finding the best way for you to quit. Manage stress. Stress is linked to heart disease in many ways. It can raise your blood pressure.

Extreme stress can be a "trigger" for a heart attack. Also, some common ways of coping with stress, such as overeating, heavy drinking, and smoking, are bad for your heart. Some ways to help manage your stress include exercise, listening to music, focusing on something calm or peaceful, and meditating.

Manage diabetes. Having diabetes doubles your risk of diabetic heart disease. That is because over time, high blood sugar from diabetes can damage your blood vessels and the nerves that control your heart and blood vessels.

So, it is important to get tested for diabetes, and if you have it, to keep it under control. Make sure that you get enough sleep. If you don't get enough sleep, you raise your risk of high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes. Those three things can raise your risk for heart disease.

Most adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. Make sure that you have good sleep habits. If you have frequent sleep problems, contact your health care provider. One problem, sleep apnea , causes people to briefly stop breathing many times during sleep. This interferes with your ability to get a good rest and can raise your risk of heart disease.

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