So for dinner tonight, think about having some pasta, rice or potatoes. Go easy on the salt. A high level of salt in your diet can cause high blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease. Be careful - give the salt one less shake over the saucepan or your plate and remember that processed foods are often already high in salt. To learn more about how to eat well, and how to reduce fat and cholesterol in your diet, check out our Healthy Living Library for links to additional resources on the world wide web.
Smoking is often one of the major causes of heart disease.
And the risk of a heart attack rises with each cigarette smoked. Chemicals in cigarettes cause damage to the linings of your arteries that can lead to heart disease. If you are under 50 and you smoke, your risk of having a heart attack can be 10 times more than that of a non-smoker your age. Once you stop smoking, your risk of heart disease is cut almost in half after only one year. Almost one in five deaths from heart disease is attributable to smoking.