These steps can help protect your heart, whether you have heart disease or just want to prevent it.
Know your risks. Talk to your health care provider. Your risk of heart disease depends on many things, such as your age, sex, ethnicity, cholesterol, blood pressure, and if you smoke or have diabetes. Use the risk assessment test at www.ehealth.heartandstroke.ca.
Lower your risks. The best ways to lower your risk of heart disease are to:
- Be aware of your risk factors.
- Be smoke-free.
- Be physically active.
- Know and control your blood pressure.
- Eat a healthy diet that is high in fibre, lower in fat, especially saturated and trans fats, lower in sodium, includes lots of fruit and vegetables, and includes portions of food that are in line with your level of physical activity.
- Achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
- Manage your diabetes.
- Limit alcohol use.
- Reduce stress.
- Visit your health care provider regularly and follow your health care provider’s advice.
- Know and control your blood cholesterol.
Have your blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and blood sugar tested according to your health care provider’s recommendations. These tests are proven to help measure your risk of having heart disease.
Blood pressure. You should be tested at least once a year using a blood-pressure cuff. If you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure (or other related conditions), your health care provider will recommend that your blood pressure be checked more often. Be sure to ask your health care provider how often you should have your blood pressure checked.
Cholesterol. You should have a blood test for cholesterol if you are a male and over 40, female and over 50 or post-menopausal, you have heart disease, stroke, diabetes or high blood pressure, your waist measures more than 102 cm (40 in) for men or 88 cm (35 in) for women, you have a family history of heart disease or stroke. Your health care provider can advise how often you should have your cholesterol tested.
Blood sugar. If you’re over 40, you should have a blood test once every three years to measure your blood sugar (glucose). Too much glucose can harm your blood vessels. If you have risk factors for diabetes or are pregnant, your blood sugar levels should be tested. Speak to your health care provider about whether you need a blood sugar test.
If your blood pressure, blood cholesterol, or blood sugar are too high, work with your health care provider to lower them. Most people can lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and manage diabetes with lifestyle changes and medicine. This reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes.