Cardiovascular disease is one of the most common causes of death in the United States. The risk factors are always increasing, creating a constant public health burden. Public prevention plays a very important role in healthcare. Research has shown that if you suffer from high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and if you smoke, your risk of cardiovascular disease increases tremendously. In fact, nearly 50% of Americans have at least one of those risk factors.
Existing health conditions, your lifestyle, and genetics play a huge role in determining your chances of suffering from cardiovascular disease at some point in your life. Genetics cannot be controlled, but there are a few things that you can do yourself to help decrease your risk. There are various measures that you could take advantage of if you are at risk for developing cardiovascular disease.
Those at risk of suffering from cardiovascular disease should practice some forms of primary prevention such as healthy dieting, exercise, avoidance of smoking, and working hard at maintaining a healthy body weight. All of these things are important to prevent overt cardiovascular disease, and to improve your overall quality of life.