Healthy-Heart diet: steps to prevent heart disease
Healthy-Heart diet: steps to prevent heart disease When people talk about heart disease, they are usually talking about coronary heart disease (CHD). It’s also called coronary artery disease (CAD). This is the most common type of heart disease. When someone has CHD, the coronary arteries (tubes) that take blood to the heart are narrow or blocked. This happens when cholesterol and fatty material, called plaque, build up inside the arteries. Plaque is caused by: Too much fat and cholesterol in the blood High blood pressure Smoking Too much sugar in the blood (diabetes) When plaque blocks an artery, it’s hard for blood to flow to the heart. A blocked artery can cause chest pain or a heart attack. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. Take steps today to lower your risk of heart disease. To help prevent heart disease, you can: Eat healthy. Get active. Stay at a healthy wei...