Heart Disease: Risks and Prevention

Eating certain foods can increase your risk for heart disease, while eating other foods can decrease the risk of heart disease. Eating right is essential to lowering your risk of coronary artery disease.

You can help keep your heart healthy by eating more nutrient-rich, 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 suitable types of fat can help you prevent heart disease. Getting the right balance of omega three and omega six fatty acids is essential. Healthy fat sources include Avocados, olive oil, salmon, other fatty fish, and raw nuts and seeds.

Nuts and legumes, such as beans, peas, and lentils, are good protein sources. Lean animal products, such as skim milk, low-fat cheese, lean meats, and poultry, are good protein sources. 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.

Tran fat is found in many artificial 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 have some trans fat. Any amount of trans fat is dangerous.

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 crucial to have your blood pressure checked often.

Salt can increase blood pressure, so limit the amount of sodium you eat.

Smoking is a significant risk factor for heart disease, lung cancer, emphysema, and strokes.

Quitting smoking can be challenging. But many programs have been developed to help people stop smoking. Talk to your health care provider about a plan to help you quit.

Learn more about the Smoking Cessation Program at JHAH. 

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 your exercise routine.

If you haven't been active for a while, start slowly and gradually build the intensity. Ask your health care provider what kind of exercise goals you can safely set for yourself.

Being overweight or obese can increase your risk for heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension. A well-balanced diet and regular exercise can help you control your weight. Lose weight slowly. Losing weight over a more extended period 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 committing to permanent changes in your diet and exercise habits.

Learn more about the Weight Management Program at JHAH

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 conditions 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 the 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.