Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, yet much of it can be prevented or delayed. If you are wondering how to prevent heart disease, the most useful answer isn't a single food or supplement. It is knowing your personal risk, keeping a few key numbers in a healthy range and acting early when one of them starts to drift.
Below are the risks you can and can't change, the numbers worth tracking, such as blood pressure and cholesterol, and the warning signs that need 911.
Heart disease risk factors you can't change
Some parts of your risk are set for you. Your doctor still needs to know about them, because they shape how closely you should be watched:
- Age. Risk rises as you get older.
- Family history. Risk is higher if a father or brother had heart disease before 55, or a mother or sister before 65.
- Sex. Men tend to develop heart disease earlier, and women’s risk climbs after menopause.
- Pregnancy history. Preeclampsia, high blood pressure in pregnancy and gestational diabetes are linked to higher heart risk later, so mention them even years afterward.
None of these makes heart disease inevitable. They are a reason to pay closer attention to the risks you can change.
How to prevent heart disease: start with your numbers
Several major risk factors cause no symptoms until they have done damage, so the only way to know where you stand is to measure:
- Blood pressure. The American Heart Association considers a reading under 120/80 normal. A home monitor makes checks between visits easy.
- Cholesterol. LDL is the type that forms plaque in arteries. The American Heart Association suggests most adults get checked at least every five years starting at age 19, and more often if their risk is higher.
- Blood sugar. A fasting glucose or A1C blood test screens for prediabetes and diabetes.
- Waist size. Extra weight around the middle often travels with higher blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar.
Ask for your actual results at each checkup and keep a record to spot trends early.
Treat the conditions that drive heart disease
A large part of how to prevent heart disease is controlling high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. Lifestyle changes come first for many people, but they are not always enough, and that is not a personal failure. Genes play a large role in both cholesterol and blood pressure.
If your doctor recommends a statin or a blood pressure or diabetes medicine, take it alongside healthy habits, not in place of them. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist before stopping a medicine because of side effects, since there is often another option.
Ask about sleep apnea too if you snore loudly or wake up exhausted. Untreated, it is linked to high blood pressure and heart rhythm problems.
Quit tobacco in every form
Smoking damages artery walls, raises blood pressure and makes blood more likely to clot. Quitting is one of the fastest ways to lower your risk of heart disease, and the benefits begin soon after your last cigarette. Secondhand smoke harms the heart too, and vaping isn't a risk-free alternative.
Many people need several tries to quit for good. Your doctor can discuss medicines that ease cravings, and the free quitline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW connects you with a coach.
Stay active, even with aches and pains
The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend at least 150 minutes a week of moderate activity, such as brisk walking, plus muscle strengthening on two or more days. Pair that with meals built mostly on vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans and fish.
If joint pain or an old injury keeps you on the couch, physical therapy can help you find movement your body tolerates, then build from there.
Heart attack warning signs: call 911
Call 911 right away if you notice:
- Chest pain, pressure, squeezing or fullness that lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back
- Discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach
- Shortness of breath, with or without chest discomfort
- A cold sweat, nausea or sudden lightheadedness
Like men, women most often have chest pain, but they are more likely to also have shortness of breath, nausea, or back or jaw pain. Don't drive yourself to the hospital, because emergency crews can start treatment on the way.
Frequently asked questions
Can heart disease be reversed?
Treatment can slow coronary artery disease and lower the chance of a heart attack, and some research suggests plaque may shrink slightly when LDL cholesterol is lowered aggressively. Damage from a past heart attack usually does not go away, though. If you already have heart disease, a cardiologist and a cardiac rehabilitation program can help you get the most from medicine and lifestyle changes.
Does stress cause heart disease?
Long-term stress is linked to heart disease, though researchers are still working out how much is direct and how much comes through higher blood pressure and habits like smoking, overeating and poor sleep. You can't remove stress from life, but regular activity, enough sleep and talking with someone you trust or a counselor can help you manage it.
Should I take a daily aspirin to prevent a heart attack?
Not without talking to your doctor first. Aspirin lowers the chance of blood clots, but it also raises the risk of serious bleeding. For many people who have never had a heart attack or stroke, that bleeding risk outweighs the benefit. If you already take aspirin, don't stop it on your own either; ask whether it still makes sense for you.
Talk with our team
Your primary care doctor or cardiologist leads your prevention plan. Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation of NY & CT (PMR) can help with the part that often stalls: staying active when pain gets in the way. Request an appointment at PMR of Danbury or PMR of Brewster, and our team will contact you to schedule your visit.