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If you want to have a healthy heart, it is important to understand the factors that put you at risk of heart disease. These are called risk factors, and some of these cannot be controlled, such as family history of heart disease, age and gender, and personal history of stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA), which can increase your risk of stroke. However, there are plenty of risk factors that you can manage and control.
Healthy weight: Maintaining a healthy weight reduces your risk of heart disease. This can also help control other conditions that increase the risk of heart disease, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes. To reach and maintain a healthy weight, you need to eat a healthy diet and get plenty of physical activity (see below to learn more).
Healthy eating: A healthy diet is rich in fruits and vegetables, low in salt, saturated fat and trans fat, and high in fibre and healthy unsaturated fats. It also should not give you more calories than you need to maintain a healthy weight. To learn more, see Heart Healthy Eating. For information on nutrition and healthy eating, visit the Dial-A-Dietitian website or call and speak to a registered dietitian toll-free in BC at 1-800-667-3438 or in Greater Vancouver at 604-732-9191 Monday to Friday 9 am to 5 pm.
Physical activity: The Public Health Agency of Canada recommends 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity on most days of the week. You can break up your activity into 10-minute time periods to make it easier - remember to choose activities you enjoy! For more information, see Exercising for a Healthy Heart.
Quit smoking: Did you know that people who smoke have 2 to 3 times the risk of heart disease compared to people who do not smoke? Quitting smoking will reduce your risk of heart disease and help you look and feel better. You will also help protect others from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke. To help you quit smoking, call QuitNow toll-free in BC at 1-877-455-2233, available 24 hours every day, or visit www.quitnow.ca. Also find out facts about tobacco.
Drinking alcohol: Too much alcohol can increase your risk of heart disease. Try to limit your alcohol intake to no more than 1 or 2 drinks a day, with a maximum of 9 drinks per week for women and 14 drinks per week for men.
Stress management: Stress can increase your risk of heart disease, possibly by raising your blood pressure or cholesterol or by narrowing your arteries. Find healthy ways to cope with stress, such as:
- exercising
- talking with a friend or family member for support
- making more time in your schedule to take care of yourself and enjoy life
- eating well
- taking regular vacations
High blood pressure: High blood pressure can damage the blood vessels, which increases your risk of heart disease. To keep your blood pressure under control:
- see your doctor for regular blood pressure checks
- reach and maintain a healthy weight
- eat a healthy diet, low in salt, and rich in high-potassium foods
- do more exercise or physical activity
- reduce the stress in your life
- quit smoking and limit the alcohol you drink
- take medications exactly as prescribed by your doctor
High cholesterol: High cholesterol can build up in the blood vessels, damaging and narrowing them. This can increase your risk of heart disease. To manage your cholesterol, you may need to do the following:
- see your doctor for regular cholesterol checks
- reach and maintain a healthy weight
- eat a healthy diet, low in saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol
- do more exercise or physical activity
- quit smoking
- take medications exactly as prescribed by your doctor
Diabetes: If diabetes is not managed properly, it can cause high blood sugar levels, which damage the blood vessels over time and increase the risk of heart disease. Diabetes can make you more prone to other conditions that raise heart disease risk, such as high blood pressure and narrowing of your blood vessels. To manage your diabetes, you can:
- test your blood sugar as recommended by your doctor, keep track of the results, and bring your results when you see your doctor
- eat a healthy diet - read Diabetes: Getting Started to learn more
- reach and maintain a healthy weight
- be physically active
- take your diabetes medications as recommended by your doctor
By following these tips, you can help reduce your risk of heart disease.
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