The prevalence of heart disease increases with age.
Consistently exercising and not smoking are important prevention methods, too.
Perhaps an underrated component of a healthy lifestyle and cardiac health is sleep.
The ideal amount of sleep will vary from person to person.
However, the American Heart Association recommendsseven to nine hoursof sleep nightly to improve cardiovascular health.
Dr. Lee:Both diet and exercise are important when thinking about controlling your blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Illustration by Mira Norian for Verywell Health
But if you are going to start with one, improving your dietary habits plays the most critical role.
Dietary plans such as theDASH dietand Mediterranean diet significantly improve blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and weight management.
No amount of exercise can compensate for poor dietary habits.
When does high blood pressure warrant medication, and which classes of medication are typically prescribed first?
If your blood pressure remains elevated, we will consider starting a medication.
We also calculate your 10-year risk of cardiac events to help make this decision.
Dr. Lee:Statins are the most commonly used medications to lower cholesterol.
If you have an elevated risk, you are a good candidate for starting a statin.
I think that statins are often unfairly vilified.
A significant percentage of patients who may benefit from statins stop their medications due to perceived side effects.
Statin-induced side effects are rare, but one of the most commonly mentioned side effects is muscle pain.
What advancements in heart disease treatment are you most excited about from the past year?
2023;147(8).
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Heart disease prevalence.
2016;375(19):1834-1844. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1607141
