Lifestyle can contribute to, or prevent, a heart attack or stroke. The first step you can take to reduce your chance for having a heart attack or stroke is to stop unhealthy habits that contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease. To do this, you must know the factors that are increasing your risk. Risk factors are warnings of a person's increased risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Some risk factors cannot be changed, however, some can be changed to reduce the risk.

Unchangeable major risk factors include:

• family history (heart disease and stroke tend to run in families)
• race (African Americans are at higher risk for heart disease due to high blood pressure and stroke due to the sickle cell genetic disorder)
• sex (men have higher risk of heart attack early in life; for stroke, men and women have the same incidence, but women are more likely to die of stroke) and
• over age 60 (as we get older, the risk of heart disease and stroke increases for women and men)

Changeable risk factors include:

• cigarette and tobacco smoking
• overweight and obesity
• high blood cholesterol
• high blood pressure
• physical inactivity
• careful management of diabetes
• stress and
• excessive alcohol intake

High blood pressure makes the heart work harder. It causes the heart to enlarge and weaken over time. It also raises the risk of stroke, heart attack, kidney failure, and heart failure. The risk of heart attack is 3 times greater when someone with high blood pressure, smokes, is overweight, or has high blood cholesterol, or diabetes. Control of high blood pressure reduces the risk of stroke and heart attack. Often, simply eating a healthier diet and maintaining proper weight can control blood pressure. Drugs to control blood pressure are also available.

High blood cholesterol makes someone more likely to get heart disease. The risk of a heart attack or stroke becomes higher as cholesterol levels rise and especially when other risks are present, such as high blood pressure, and smoking. A diet high in saturated fat and cholesterol raises blood cholesterol and can cause the buildup of fatty deposits on the walls of arteries. This buildup is called atherosclerosis.

Smoking is a major risk for heart disease. Smokers are more likely than nonsmokers to die suddenly from a heart attack or stroke. Smoking causes the heart to work harder. Constant exposure to second-hand smoke also increases the risk for heart attack and stroke.

Other risk factors for heart attack are diabetes, overweight, and stress. Persons with diabetes often die of some form of heart or blood vessel disease. People who have too much body fat are more likely to develop heart disease, even if they have no other risk factors. In addition, people who carry most of their excess fat around the middle are at greater risk. Being overfat makes the heart work harder and can lead to diabetes or increased cholesterol and blood pressure. Prolonged, excessive stress can hurt the health of the heart.

Lack of exercise is a major risk factor for heart attack. The heart is a muscle and if it is out of shape, it does not work as well as it should. Routine exercise plays a crucial role in preventing heart and blood vessel disease. Adults should get at least 30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise most days of the week, preferably daily. (Children need at least 60 minutes a day.) Doing less than this will minimize your health benefits. Moderate aerobic exercise is generally defined as requiring about as much energy as walking 2 miles in 30 minutes.

Aerobic exercise is the best for your heart. Exercises like walking, swimming, jogging, skating, cross-country skiing, and bicycling are aerobic. A good rule to follow when exercising is that if you are too short of breath to talk normally with another person while exercising, you are exercising too hard and need to slow down.

If you are planning to start an exercise program, check with your healthcare provider first. A specific exercise program may be needed for certain health conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoporosis, or overweight. Having a family history of heart disease and being over age 40 for men or 50 for women may also call for specific exercise recommendations that your provider can give to you.

How to reduce your risk of heart attack or stroke:

• have regular medical check ups
• lose weight if you are overweight or overfat
• exercise daily
• eat a low cholesterol, low fat, and low salt diet
• avoid alcoholic drinks if you have high blood pressure or heart problems
• control blood sugar if you have diabetes and
• quit smoking

Last Reviewed 2005

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

HIL File CARD4304.RF2 VRS# 4304 Data Version 7.0 Copyright 2000, 2002-2003 McKesson Health Solutions LLC. All rights reserved.

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