Prevention for Patients and Families
Nolan Family Center for Cardiovascular Health
Preventing Heart and Vascular Disease
Great news! A healthy lifestyle can significantly decrease your risk for heart disease by up to 80 percent. You can prevent many types of heart disease by taking action and making healthy lifestyle choices.
Be active
Aim for at least 150 minutes of weekly activity. It not only helps you reduce your risk for a heart attack, but helps you manage your weight, manage stress, and manage your blood pressure and cholesterol too.
Eat healthfully
Include at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Eat more plant-based foods, choose healthy fats and avoid added sugars.
Don't smoke
If you are a smoker, quitting is considered to be the single best thing you can do to improve your health. Take steps to avoid secondhand smoke.
Maintain a healthy body weight
Even a small amount of weight loss (between 5% and 10% of your current weight) will help you lower your risk for a heart attack.
Know your numbers
Manage your blood pressure (ideally <120/80), blood glucose (fasting <100mg/dL) and cholesterol (HDL or "good" cholesterol >50 and LDL "bad" cholesterol <100).
Talk to your doctor regularly
Discuss your personal risk factors for heart disease, including your age and family history. Based on your overall risk for heart disease, your doctor may recommend preventative medications such as aspirin, blood pressure medication or a cholesterol-lowering agent.
Steps for taking care of your heart
Calculate your risk
Calculate your risk for heart disease using this online resource or ask your primary care provider to calculate your risk.
Let your physician know about other factors that increase your risk:
- Family history of early heart disease (males age <55; females age <65)
- Primary hypercholesterolemia (very high cholesterol – LDL (bad) cholesterol >160 mg/dl)
- Chronic kidney disease
- Chronic inflammatory conditions (e.g., psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus or HIV/AIDS)
- High-risk race/ethnicity (e.g., South Asian ancestry)
- History of premature menopause (age <40)
- History of pregnancy conditions (e.g., preeclampsia) that increase your risk for later heart disease.
Reduce your risk
There are several lifestyle modifications you can make to lower your risk for cardiovascular disease! Check out the infographic on this web page and discuss your risk factors with your primary care physician.
Take our Color Your Plate Challenge and enjoy at least five servings of fruit and vegetables a day!
Talk to a preventive cardiologist if you are at high risk
If you are at high risk for heart disease, consider a visit to a preventive cardiologist.
Preventive cardiology services include:
- A comprehensive cardiovascular examination and evaluation of cardiac risk factors
- Advanced blood tests with results provided during your appointment
- Lipid management, including statin intolerance
- Nutrition assessment and recommendations
- Cardiac imaging (HeartScan) – access to a special scan that can detect deposits in the heart’s arteries before symptoms are present
- Opportunity for participation in clinical trials of new therapies
How is MHIF advancing prevention research to benefit patients?
MHIF has a long history of groundbreaking research and education across a wide spectrum of prevention-related topics, including coronary artery calcium testing, blood pressure, cholesterol and statin use, nutrition and lifestyle behaviors, risk factors and screening for specific populations, premature heart disease and congenital heart disorders. MHIF researchers also led Hearts Beat Back: The Heart of New Ulm Project, a 10-year transformative population health research project in rural New Ulm, Minnesota, that resulted in significant improvements for heart disease risk factors in the community. Learn more about the project here.
Could I benefit from participating in a clinical research study?
Every year, exciting breakthroughs and discoveries stem from our research. These important findings advance medical knowledge, improving the health and lives of millions of people worldwide. By participating in research, you:
- Take a more active role in your own health care.
- May gain access to investigational treatments and medications.
- Help find new and better ways to treat people with your condition.
Every research study comes with its own unique risks and benefits; the study team will ensure you’re provided with all the information you need to decide if participating is right for you.
Do you have resources specific for women?
Yes, please visit the Penny Anderson Women's Center for Cardiovascular Health patient resources page for for women's heart health resources.
Heart Disease Prevention Video Series
Prevention Booklets
Download heart-healthy resources published by the Nolan Family Center for Cardiovascular Health:
Heart-Healthy Recipe Book
The Prevention Team at Allina Health Minneapolis Heart Institute and the Nolan Family Center for Cardiovascular Health are excited to share our heart-healthy cookbook: Recipes From the Heart. In this collection of recipes, our staff share their enjoyment of heart-healthy eating with tried-and-true family favorites. Explore and introduce one of these recipes to your own collection!
These delicious dishes that reflect the principles of heart-healthy eating:
- Eat mostly whole foods and less processed foods
- Enjoy more vegetables and fruit
- Choose mostly whole grains
- Select foods with healthy unsaturated fat, like avocados, nuts, fatty fish, olive oil and non-tropical vegetable oils
- Choose foods with little added sugar
- Drink healthy beverages like water rather than sugar-sweetened beverages
- Use herbs, spices, and low-sodium seasonings/ingredients to make food flavorful
Real Patient Stories
Meet some of the patients who have participated in research related to prevention and managing risk factors
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