Mayfield Publishing Company Major Forms of Cardio- vascular Disease (CVD)  Hypertension  Atherosclerosis  Heart disease and heart attacks  Stroke  Congestive heart failure Image source:

Mayfield Publishing Company Major Risk Factors That Can Be Changed  Tobacco use  High blood pressure  Unhealthy cholesterol levels  Physical inactivity  Obesity

Mayfield Publishing Company Contributing Risk Factors That Can Be Changed  Diabetes  Triglyceride levels  Psychological factors – stress, chronic hostility and anger, suppression of psychological distress, depression, anxiety  Social factors – social isolation, low socioeconomic status

Mayfield Publishing Company Major Risk Factors That Cannot Be Changed  Heredity  Aging – increased risk of heart attack after age 65  Being male  Ethnicity – African Americans have much higher risks of developing CVD

Mayfield Publishing Company Dietary Defense Against CVD  Decrease total fat and cholesterol intake  Choose unsaturated fats over saturated and trans fats  Increase fiber intake  Consume alcohol moderately, if at all  Follow the DASH diet

Mayfield Publishing Company Protect Yourself Against CVD  Eat heart-healthy  Exercise regularly  Avoid tobacco  Know and manage blood pressure  Know and manage cholesterol levels  Develop ways to handle stress and anger  Know your risk factors