HEART DISEASE AND STROKE PREVENTION: FIGHTING HEART DISEASE

No matter what the state of your health, your chances of having a heart attack can be influenced by several things you control — your diet, how much you exercise, whether you smoke, your weight, and your ability to deal with stress.

Eat a Heart-Healthy Diet

To keep your heart healthy, eat a diet abundant in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes. Fruits and vegetables contain lots of vitamins and minerals, including antioxidants.

Fruits and vegetables, along with legumes and whole-grain breads and breakfast cereals, are also rich in fiber, especially soluble fiber, which protects your heart by lowering your blood cholesterol and glucose levels. In smaller amounts, unsaturated fats (such as those found in olive oil, canola oil, avocados and nuts), lean meat and poultry, fish and fat-free dairy products are also heart-healthy.

Foods that can harm your heart — and should thus be limited or avoided — include those made with refined flours and sugar, fried foods, salty foods, and foods that contain saturated and trans fats (such as pastries, salty snacks, fatty meats, poultry skin and french fries).

Get Plenty of Exercise

Scientific evidence points to the many benefits of regular physical activity. Frequent exercise can cut your risk of heart disease by a third — by lowering your blood pressure, improving your cholesterol profile (by reducing total cholesterol and raising beneficial HDL cholesterol), helping to keep your weight down, and relieving stress.

Try to exercise for at least 30 to 60 minutes every day. The time you devote to exercise doesn't have to be continuous. You can break up your activity into two 15-minute and three 10-minute sessions, for example, and get the same benefits you would from one long exercise session.

Walking is excellent exercise, especially if you have been inactive, but the more vigorous the activity, the more your heart will benefit. Fit more exercise into your daily routine by, for example, taking the stairs instead of the elevator and parking farther from the store or office.

Don't Smoke

Not only does cigarette smoking increase your risk of lung cancer and emphysema, it is also a major contributor to heart disease. Nicotine triggers the release of the stress hormone adrenaline, causing your blood vessels to narrow, your heart to beat faster, and your blood pressure to rise.

Carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke competes with oxygen for space in red blood cells, reducing the heart's supply of oxygen. It also promotes blood clots and plaque in the arteries. Secondhand smoke can harm nonsmokers, especially children.

The good news is that your risk of heart disease is cut in half one year after quitting. In 5 to 15 years, your risk equals that of a nonsmoker.

Maintain a Healthy Weight

Carrying too much weight elevates your blood pressure and can lead to type 2 diabetes, a major risk factor for heart disease. Losing as few as 10 pounds can help reduce this risk. Avoid fad diets and programs that eliminate whole food groups such as carbohydrates; they can harm your health. The real key is simply to burn more calories than you consume.

Reduce Stress

Stress makes your heart beat faster, increases the amount of harmful LDL cholesterol in your bloodstream, raises your blood sugar level, and increases the blood's tendency to clot. If you feel overstressed, talk to your doctor about steps you can take.