How to Prevent Heart Disease

Source: MedlinePlus Health Topics, U.S. National Library of Medicine

Heart disease is the leading cause of the death in the United States. It is also a major cause of disability. But you can take steps to improve your health and help prevent heart disease. The first step is understanding your risk of heart disease. Your risk depends on many factors, some of which are changeable and others that are not. Learning about them and working on the things that you can change can lower your risk of heart disease. What are the heart disease risk factors that I cannot change? There are some risk factors for heart disease that you cannot change: Your age. Your risk of heart disease increases as you get older. The risk is higher in: Men age 45 and older Women age 55 and older Your sex. Some risk factors may affect heart disease risk differently in women than in men. For example: The hormone estrogen provides women some protection against heart disease Diabetes raises the risk of heart disease more in women than in men. Your race or ethnicity. Certain groups have higher risks than others. For example: African Americans are more likely than Whites to die of heart disease, while Hispanic Americans are less likely to die of it Asian Americans as a group have lower rates of heart disease than other groups, but South Asian Americans have higher rates Your family history. You have a greater risk if you have a close family member who had heart disease at an early age, for example if: Your father or brother was diagnosed before age 55 Your mother or sister was diagnosed before age 65 What are the heart disease risk factors I can change and what can I do to lower my risk? There are many heart disease risk factors that you can change. If you make these changes, you don't just help protect your heart. You can also improve your overall health and well-being. You may have a lot of changes to make. If you need to, you can make the changes gradually, one at a time. What's most important is that you make them. Depending on your lifestyle, these changes could incl