The leading cause of death across the globe is heart disease. Even though millions die each year due to cardiovascular disease, there are treatments available for those with heart problems. There are also steps to be taken to prevent it in those who are headed in that direction.

There are some factors that cause a person to be at a higher risk for cardiovascular disease. Your sex, age and family history are factors that cannot be altered to lower your risk. Other factors can be controlled. These include smoking, obesity, eating unhealthy foods and lack of exercise.

Decrease Your Risk for Heart Disease

Lifestyle changes can help you lower your risk for cardiovascular disease. Not only will a healthy lifestyle prevent heart problems; for many, it can reverse the progress of cardiovascular disease.

One of the major changes people make to prevent heart disease is changing their diet from one of processed and sugary foods to whole foods. Eating the right foods along with moderate exercise regularly can make a big difference. Additionally, having a strong social support system and managing stress also help prevent heart disease.

Assess Your Risk

Certain traits put you at a higher risk for cardiovascular disease. If you are aware of these factors, Dr. Michael can help you develop a strategy to lower your risk. Half the battle is realizing that you are in a high-risk category.

Multiple risk factors, such as being overweight, not exercising, and smoking put you at a much higher risk for problems than if you had only one risk factor. It is challenging to address multiple changes at once, but with a team of health providers to help, you can still make necessary changes.

Genetic factors are also very challenging and require special consideration. A strong history of cardiovascular disease in your family puts you in a high-risk category. Even with proper nutrition and exercise, you may still have heart problems.

Dr. Michael helps patients assess their risk for cardiovascular disease and helps them develop a strategy to prevent it or minimize its effects. Contact us for more information about prevention of cardiovascular disease and schedule your appointment today.