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How to Prevent Heart Disease

At UPMC Susquehanna's Heart & Vascular Institute, we offer the latest treatments for cardiovascular conditions, as well as lifestyle and prevention guidance to help you keep your heart healthy. The following lifestyle choices can play a big role in preventing heart disease, so take a few minutes to learn more about how you can take an active role in your heart health.

Exercise

Physical inactivity negatively affects your health in many ways, but doctors most commonly see its effects on your heart and vascular system. In order to reduce your risk for cardiovascular diseases, you should attempt to engage in a little physical activity every day. Experts say it will not only make you healthier, but happier too!

Your Daily Routine

Before starting an exercise program, contact your doctor at Susquehanna Health to see if you're physically stable to begin a regimen. Our team of experts can even create a personalized exercise and nutrition plan for you based on your specific needs and concerns.

Remember, the exercise doesn't have to be rigorous –– just 30 minutes of moderately intense activity a day will do. Simply going on a daily walk with a friend or pet, bike-riding or doing yoga can all help keep you active and healthy.

For exercise assistance, contact one of our outpatient rehab locations to schedule an appointment.

Nutrition

You are what you eat! Surprisingly, it's an accurate statement. Your nutrition habits are reflected in your health. Many heart diseases and conditions are caused by unhealthy eating. Cholesterol, diabetes and a variety of other conditions can take over if you're not careful.

Nutrition Care Center at UPMC Susquehanna

The Nutrition Care Center at UPMC Susquehanna Divine Providence can help you with your individual nutritional needs based on your lifestyle, risk for heart disease, current medical conditions and more. Some insurances may even cover a standard assessment session with one of our Registered Dietitians.

Contact the Diabetes & Nutrition Care Center today by calling (570) 326-8410.

Food by the Hour:

Breakfast

  • Fresh fruit or 100% fruit juice
  • Oatmeal or whole grain cereal
  • Whole wheat toast or bagel
  • Fat-free milk or nonfat yogurt
  • Scrambled egg whites

Lunch/Dinner

  • Salad: green, pasta or vegetable
  • Soup: Vegetable, bean or minestrone
  • Spaghetti and meatless sauce
  • Baked potato
  • Pita pocket or corn tortillas
  • Tofu, lean pork, fish, skinned chicken or water-packed tuna

Snacks

  • Pretzels or reduced-fat crackers
  • Graham crackers
  • Air-popped popcorn
  • Fruit
  • Reduced-fat ice cream

Quit Smoking

Smoking kills more than 440,000 people in the U.S. each year. Over 135,000 of those deaths are cardiovascular-related.

And it's not just the smokers who are at risk. The CDC estimates that over 46,000 nonsmokers die from coronary heart disease each year as a result of secondhand exposure to tobacco smoke.

Smoking can cause an increase in blood pressure and heart rate, a reduction in blood flow, and promote clotting and fatty substance buildup.

Get Help from the Experts

Let UPMC Susquehanna help you quit smoking and reduce your risk for cardiovascular diseases. Our staff is dedicated to helping you alter your lifestyle to be more heart healthy.

For more information, contact our Pulmonary Wellness Program at (570) 321-2799.

Stress Management

Everyone gets stressed and overworked sometimes, whether it is work-related, illness-induced, or due to a lack of sleep. Our body is built to protect us during these times. But when stress becomes a chronic factor in your life, it can harm your health, particularly your cardiovascular health.

Chronic stress can cause, among many things, high blood pressure, increased cholesterol levels, and rising triglycerides. These factors, in turn, can cause heart disease.

Here are a few tips to manage your stress:

  • Write down what makes you feel stressed, and try to change it if you can.
  • Learn to identify signs of stress, including tense shoulders. Go for a walk or do some stretches to relieve tension.
  • Consider meditation. Studies show it can relieve stress and lower blood pressure.
  • Practice healthy habits, including exercise and getting enough sleep.

Does chronic stress or depression run in your family? Feeling overwhelmed and unproductive? Let UPMC Susquehanna help you gain control again, so you can live a happy, successful life.

Weight Management

It's not just about image anymore. Maintaining a healthy weight can help you prevent high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease, just to name a few. Obesity is a growing issue in today's society, but nobody's at fault. There are factors all around us contributing to obesity, like over-processed, sugary foods and high stress situations.

Controlling Your Weight

So, what's a healthy weight? It's different for each person, based on your height. An easy way to determine if you're at a healthy weight is to check your BMI (Body Mass Index). An online calculator will show you whether you are maintaining a healthy weight.

If you find you're overweight or underweight, talk to the doctors at UPMC Susquehanna. We can help you create a weight management plan. We can provide you with dietary consultations, exercise regimens and more.

Contact the Diabetes & Nutrition Care Center today by calling (570) 326-8410.

UPMC Susquehanna's Heart & Vascular Institute offers education and lifestyle counseling on ways to prevent heart disease in Williamsport, PA, and the surrounding areas.