Health Conditions That Can Lead to Heart Disease
By living a healthy lifestyle, you can help keep your blood
pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels normal and
lower your risk for heart disease and heart attack.
High Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a fat-like substance found in the blood. When
it builds in the inner walls of your arteries, it hardens and
turns into plaque. That plaque can narrow the artery walls
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can lead to blood clots, heart attacks, and strokes. Your
cholesterol level should be checked during your annual
wellness visit with your primary care provider. If you have
high cholesterol, medications and lifestyle changes can help
reduce your risk for heart disease.
High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure usually has no symptoms, so be sure to
have it checked on a regular basis. High blood pressure can
often be lowered by reducing the amount of sodium in your
diet and/or taking medication.
Diabetes
There is a strong connection between diabetes and heart
disease. High blood glucose from diabetes can damage blood
vessels. Properly managing your diabetes can help you to
avoid this.
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How to Help to Keep Your Heart Healthy
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In fact, 80 percent of heart disease is preventable with
healthy lifestyle choices and management of risk factors.
• Eat a healthy diet. Eating healthy foods can help you to
avoid heart disease. Choosing foods low in saturated
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high blood cholesterol. Limiting salt in your diet can also
lower your blood pressure.
• Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight can
increase your risk for heart disease.
• Exercise regularly. Physical activity can help you
maintain a healthy weight and lower cholesterol and
blood pressure. The Surgeon General recommends
adults engage in moderate-intensity exercise for 2 hours
and 30 minutes every week. Be sure to discuss any new
exercise plans with your healthcare provider.
• Don’t smoke. Cigarette smoking greatly increases your
risk for heart disease. If you don’t smoke, don’t start.
If you do smoke, quitting will lower your risk for heart
disease.
• Limit alcohol use. Avoid drinking too much alcohol,
which causes high blood pressure.
Hamilton Health Care System provides expert heart care
through Hamilton Emergency Medical Services (EMS),
Hamilton Medical Center’s accredited chest pain center,
Hamilton Cardiac Rehabilitation, and Hamilton Physician
Group. Hamilton’s team of highly-trained providers work
together to bring the best in heart care to our region.
CDC and the American Heart Association
Illustration by: McKenzie Bergenback
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“Each day at the hospital, I see the difference a positive attitude
makes in others and myself.”
Ken Waddell, Chaplain, Hamilton Medical Center