Subscribe to one of our news e-mail lists. However, you can play a part in reducing your risk of having a heart attack or suffering a stroke.
Smoking is a major cause of coronary heart disease, which leads to heart attack.
Exercise reduces your risk of heart disease by improving blood circulation throughout the body, keeping your weight under control, improving blood cholesterol levels and preventing and managing high blood pressure. A high level of cholesterol in the blood is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease. When a person has too much cholesterol circulating in the blood, it can slowly build up within the walls of the arteries that feed the heart and brain, leading to a heart attack or a stroke. While doctors typically prescribe medications for high blood pressure, you can also do your part by reducing the amount of sodium and alcohol in your diet and losing weight and exercising. About one-third of Americans are overweight.