Being heart healthy can prevent a heart attack or stroke by lowering your risk for heart disease. To start you on the right path, there are several risk factors that doctors will tell you to focus on. With few exceptions, physicians at the Preventive Cardiovascular Program at Penn will recommend that people at risk of heart attack and stroke do the following:
Eat a heart-healthy diet
Eating well is a fundamental part of keeping your heart healthy. The "right" diet depends on your treatment goals, but there are also certain foods that can help lower your risk of heart disease. Whether you're aiming for weight loss, trying to lower your cholesterol or triglycerides, working to reduce your blood pressure or improve your blood sugar levels, it helps to work with a registered dietitian. At the Preventive Cardiovascular Program, our patients receive nutritional counseling from an experienced dietitian.
Maintain a normal weight
When you're overweight or obese, you can develop hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes, and atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). All of these can put you at an increased risk for heart disease. The experts at Penn Medicine can help you lose weight and then maintain weight loss through a combination of diet and exercise.
Exercise regularly
Regular exercise can keep your weight in check, reduce your blood pressure and lower cholesterol levels, making it one of the most important things you can do to reduce your risk for cardiovascular disease. Talk to your healthcare team about creating an exercise plan that's right for you.
Stop smoking
Smoking decreases oxygen to the heart and increases your blood pressure and heart rate. It can also increase blood clotting. All of these can lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. At Penn Medicine, our Stop Smoking program is an excellent resource for patients looking to kick the habit and stay smoke free for life.
If you have a family history of heart disease or at increased risk, making these healthy lifestyle modifications can help prevent heart attacks and strokes. Making changes can be hard, so it is important to get the help you need.