Prevention

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• Quit Smoking

Stopping smoking is the single most important thing you can do to lower your risk of heart disease. Not starting is even better.Smoking as few as four cigarettes a day makes you seven times more likely to develop heart disease.

• Limit Your Alcohol Intake

The medical consensus is: If you don't drink, don't start. If you do drink, keep it moderate. For women, one drink a day or less is suggested ('one drink' is one beer, a 5 oz. glass of wine or 1.5 oz. of liquor).

The medical consensus is: If you don't drink, don't start. If you do drink, keep it moderate. For women, one drink a day or less is suggested ('one drink' is one beer, a 5 oz. glass of wine or 1.5 oz. of liquor).

Is it True that Alcohol Can Be Good for You?

There is evidence that moderate drinking is associated with a lower risk of heart disease in both sexes. It appears to increase the level of good (HDL) cholesterol in the blood, and it may help thin the blood. However, the benefits of alcohol to the heart are mostly limited to women and men past middle age. For younger people, alcohol's adverse effects probably outweigh any health benefits.

People with a heart-healthy lifestyle are already ahead of the game. If you are already a non-smoker, eating a healthy diet and exercising, you might not receive any extra benefit from drinking.

Drinking alcohol also increases the risk of:

* stroke
* some cancers
* traumatic injury
* liver disease
* osteoporosis
* breast cancer
* high blood pressure
* heart arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat)
* alcoholism
* harm to the fetus in pregnant women