Private MD News

Simple lifestyle improvements may protect people from heart disease

Category: Heart Health and Cholesterol

Millions of people receive high cholesterol test results each year. This condition greatly increases an individual's risk of developing heart disease and experiencing a heart attack or stroke. However, there are some relatively simple and inexpensive things that these people can do to get their cholesterol back in line and minimize their risk.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a list of four lifestyle factors that make a tremendous impact on heart health. They include quitting smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, eating fruits and vegetables and getting plenty of physical exercise.

While these may seem like simple tasks, relatively few people engage in them. The CDC has said that only 3 percent of Americans incorporate all four into their everyday lives. This has resulted in an epidemic of high cholesterol.

"While a family history of heart disease should make you even more vigilant, you should take steps to keep yourself heart-healthy even if there is no family history of heart disease," said Dr. Carl Hastings, chief scientific officer of Reliv International, a nutritional supplement manufacturer.