Staying Healthy: Keeping Your Heart Healthy
Most of the time, people who develop heart disease have a major warning sign for it. A few of the risk factors for heart disease are things you can’t do anything about. For example, if heart disease runs in your family, you are at higher risk for it yourself. But most risk factors are things you can control.
To keep your heart healthy, quit smoking and keep your cholesterol and blood pressure levels in check. When compared with nonsmokers, people who smoke are 2 to 3 times as likely to die from heart disease. For some people, lowering total cholesterol levels by 10% can lower the risk for heart attack by 20% to 30%. Lowering high blood pressure also lowers heart risks.
Being overweight increases your risk for heart disease. Exercise and eat a healthy diet. Also manage your mental health. Psychological factors can contribute to heart problems. Try to control your stress and anger too.