Cardiovascular Disease Prevention

Be smart about your heart

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, but there are good news: it’s estimated that 80% of all cardiovascular disease issues, including heart disease, heart attack, heart failure, and stroke, can be prevented.

The key to preventing these issues is an overall healthy lifestyle that helps to control high blood pressure and high cholesterol and to maintain healthy habits such as exercising regularly, eating a plant-based diet, getting enough sleep, and not smoking. At Sunset Health, we have established a program for parents and children that is designed to provide education about high blood pressure, cholesterol, weight management, diet and other aspects of living a heart-smart life.

Managing your Lipids

Lipids are naturally occurring fats such as cholesterol that are vital to good health, but they can be problematic at high levels. As a rule, you should try to keep your cholesterol within these ranges:

• Total Cholesterol: less than 200mg/dl
• Low Density Lipids (LDL): less than 100 mg/dl
• High Density Lipids (HDL): more than 40 mg/dl for males and more than 50 mg/dl for females
• Triglycerides: less than150 mg/dl

You can keep your cholesterol levels in a healthy range by making positive changes to your everyday behavior:

• Exercise at 45-50 minutes daily
• Restrict fats to no more than 25-35% of your daily calorie intake
• Do not eat more than 7% of saturated fats and eliminate trans fats entirely
• Eat 10 to 25 grams of fiber per day
• Eat 5 to 9 portions of fruits and vegetables per day
• Eat two portions of fish (salmon, tuna or sardines) per week
• Read food labels for fat contents and other ingredients

By making regular exercise and smart eating a part of your daily lifestyle, you can significantly decrease your chances of developing a cardiovascular disease while enhancing your overall health and well-being.