If you have high blood pressure,
you may want to follow
the DASH (Dietary Approaches
to Stop Hypertension) diet.
This diet emphasizes fruits,
vegetables, whole-grain foods,
and low-fat dairy products.
To learn more about the diet,
see www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/
health-topics/topics/dash.
Goff also advises, “Avoid
foods that have a lot of salt in
them. Salt is a major contributor
to high blood pressure and
risk of heart disease.”
Prevent Diabetes
Diabetes increases your chances
of high blood pressure and high
cholesterol. You’re also more
likely to develop heart disease
and have a heart attack.
“Having diabetes is almost
44 Healthy Living | Fall Issue | 2017
like already having heart disease,”
says Dr. Larissa Avilés-Santa,
a diabetes and heart health expert
at NIH. She oversees a large
NIH study of heart disease risk
factors among more than 16,000
Hispanic/Latino adults.
Avilés-Santa says that
sometimes people think that
they will develop diabetes and
heart disease no matter what
they do. But that’s not true.
Even if you have a family history
of these diseases, you can be
the messenger of good health
for your family, she says. You
can help your family by inspiring
healthy habits.
The best way to prevent
diabetes is through diet and
physical activity. “The evidence
is outstanding that very modest
changes in lifestyle could
reduce the risk of developing
diabetes much greater than
medication,” Avilés-Santa says.
Get Help
For some people, having a
heart attack is the first sign of
heart disease. Pain or discomfort
in your chest or upper body, a
cold sweat, or shortness of breath
are all signs of a heart attack.
If you feel any of these
signs, get medical help right
away. Acting fast can save your
life and prevent permanent
damage.
Heart disease and heart attacks
are major risk factors for
cardiac arrest, which is when
the heart suddenly stops beating.
Blood stops flowing to
the brain and other parts of