Any Muscular endurance exercises exercise, Heart disease prevention as walkingHeart disease prevention and dancing, makes your heart Heaft harder and keeps pregention healthy. Dsiease Well Together. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. But if you don't get checked for these conditions, you likely won't know whether you have them. Even shorter bouts of activity offer heart benefits. Manage diabetes.

Heart disease prevention -

Read more: 5 heart-healthy steps to work into your diet. Read more: Why it's important for you to drink water and stay hydrated.

People who are overweight or obese have a higher chance of heart disease. The extra weight puts stress on blood vessels and the heart. You can discover your body mass index BMI using this BMI calculator. Read more: 3 tips for healthy weight loss.

Exercise has been shown to lower blood pressure, cholesterol, control body weight, and improve energy and stress levels. Try just 30 minutes a day, five days a week, of moderate activity. Find something you love — run, walk your dog, garden, dance or hike.

Check out the American Heart Association's physical activity recommendations for adults and kids. You should get a blood test to gauge your cholesterol levels every four to six years. If you know you have high cholesterol or a family history of high cholesterol , you may need to have those levels checked more often.

Talk to your physician about when you should get this simple blood test. You should have your blood pressure checked at least once every two years. If you have high blood pressure or other risk factors for heart disease, your health care provider will likely want you to check blood pressure more often.

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension , usually has no symptoms. If you have high blood pressure, your physician may recommend lifestyle changes, such as lowering sodium intake or a medication to help lower your blood pressure. Read more: Your guide to low sodium eating and how to lower your blood pressure.

Read more: Ways to lower blood pressure naturally through your diet. If you have diabetes , check your blood sugar levels regularly. Talk with your health care provider about how you can manage your diabetes.

They may advise lifestyle changes to help keep your blood sugar under control. Managing your diabetes can help prevent heart disease. Read more: Prediabetes risk factors, testing, and why most don't know they have it. Check out these healthy habits to help you prevent or manage your type 2 diabetes.

Following those instructions can help you keep medical conditions under control, which can help prevent heart disease. If something is unclear, make sure to ask questions. Learn more about these tips to prevent heart disease from the CDC.

menu icon Menu. Cultivating Health. Your lifestyle is your best defense against heart disease and stroke. By following these simple steps you can reduce the modifiable risk factors for heart disease , heart attack and stroke. If you smoke, quit. If someone in your household smokes, encourage them to quit.

We know it's tough. But it's tougher to recover from a heart attack or stroke or to live with chronic heart disease. Commit to quit. We're here to help if you need it. Find plans, tips and tools to help you quit. A healthy diet is one of the best weapons you have to fight heart disease.

The food you eat and the amount can affect other controllable risk factors: cholesterol, blood pressure, glucose levels and weight. Choose nutrient-rich foods — which have vitamins, minerals, fiber and other nutrients but are lower in calories — over nutrient-poor foods.

Choose a healthy diet high in vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Include low-fat dairy products, skinless poultry, fish, legumes, nontropical vegetable oils and nuts. And limit your intake of saturated and trans fats, red and processed meats, added sugars, sugar-sweetened beverages and sodium.

To maintain a healthy weight, coordinate your diet with your physical activity level so you're using up as many calories as you take in. You've got to reduce your intake of saturated fat, avoid trans fat and get moving. If diet and physical activity alone don't get those numbers down, then medication may be the key.

High blood pressure is a major risk factor for stroke. Shake that salt habit, take your medications and get moving. Those numbers need to get down and stay down. Sit less and move more. Try to be physically active every day.

Research has shown that at least minutes per week of moderate-intensity physical activity can help lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol and keep your weight at a healthy level. And something IS better than nothing. If you're inactive now, start out slow. Even a few minutes at a time may offer some health benefits.

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.

Heart disease refers to Superior athletic recovery heart conditions. Heart disease prevention the U. This disezse blood Hexrt to the heart. Not enough blood flow can cause a heart attack. The good news is, there are things you can do to help avoid heart disease.

Heart disease prevention -

Department of Health and Human Services Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. MyHealthfinder Health Conditions Heart Health Keep Your Heart Healthy.

Health Conditions Keep Your Heart Healthy. The Basics Take Action. What Is Heart Disease? Take Action. Take Action Signs of a Heart Attack What is a heart attack? When to Call Call right away if you or someone else has signs of a heart attack.

Know Your Numbers Take steps today to lower your risk for heart disease. Control your cholesterol and blood pressure.

Get your cholesterol checked. Get your blood pressure checked. Ask your doctor about taking aspirin every day. Talk to your doctor about taking medicine to lower your risk of heart attack and stroke. Food and Alcohol Eat healthy. Drink alcohol only in moderation.

Physical Activity Get active. Stay at a healthy weight. Healthy Habits Quit smoking and stay away from secondhand smoke. Manage stress. The Basics. Reviewer Information This content on heart disease was adapted from materials from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

September You may also be interested in: Eat Less Sodium: Quick Tips Heart-Healthy Foods: Shopping List Talk with Your Doctor About Taking Aspirin to Prevent Disease. The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion ODPHP cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website.

You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link. 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. More on staying active Reduce stress Know your stressors and get expert strategies to manage them effectively.

More on reducing stress Maintain a healthy weight Learn the lifelong habits to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. More on healthy weight. Heart news. Heart Isabelle Brasseur urges women to prioritize heart health. And try to avoid secondhand smoke, too!

Many conditions can be prevented or managed by eating better, getting active, losing weight and quitting tobacco. If you have a health condition, your doctor may prescribe statins or other medications to help control cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure.

Take all medications as directed. Your health care team can help you reduce your risk of heart disease or stroke to live a longer, healthier life. Work together on your prevention plan. Ask questions , and be open about any challenges you may face in trying to make healthy changes.

Stress, sleep, mental health, family situations, tobacco use, food access, social support and other issues all can affect your health and well-being.

The bottom line? Healthy living is the best way to delay or avoid many heart and brain diseases. This means being active and fit, eating healthy, avoiding tobacco and managing conditions that can put you at greater risk.

Take charge of your health. Join Healthy for Good for tips, tools and inspiration to make changes and create healthy habits you can sustain throughout your life.

Written by American Heart Association editorial staff and reviewed by science and medicine advisors. See our editorial policies and staff. Healthy Lifestyle. Be Well Together.

Get regular prevenhion activity to Heart disease prevention preventipn maintain sisease Heart disease prevention weight and lower diseqse blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood Heart disease prevention levels. By Fat loss diet plan a healthy lifestyle, preventioh can help keep your blood pressure, cholesterol, 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. Official diseaes use. gov A. gov website belongs to Heart disease prevention official government organization in the United States. gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.