Nearly one-third of Canadian deaths are due to cardiovascular diseases (diseases of the heart and blood vessels).  So, how can you avoid being one of them? 

Unfortunately, there is no magic bullet or wonder drug that will prevent cardiovascular disease. There are, however, some lifestyle habits that you can adopt to dramatically decrease your chances of developing it.

There are five simple habits that will not only help keep your heart healthy; they may also help people who already have high blood pressure or high cholesterol to reverse their conditions.  These five habits are:

• Eat a balanced diet (speak to a Sobeys Dietitian for advice!)
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Exercise regularly
• Do not smoke
• Drink moderately, if at all

If that sounds too much like common sense and not scientific enough, consider the following: Researchers at Harvard University studied 42,847 men between the ages of 40 and 75.  At the beginning of the study, none of the men had heart disease; however, 16 years later 2,183 of them had either suffered from heart attacks or had died from heart disease.  The scientists conducting the study believe that 62% of these heart attacks and deaths could have been prevented if the men had adopted healthy lifestyle habits. 

Changing even just a single bad habit lowered a man’s risk of heart attack or death from heart disease. More impressive yet, the men who adopted all five of the habits were the least likely to suffer from a heart-related problem.  

If you have any questions about how to live a heart-healthy lifestyle or managing your blood pressure or cholesterol, your Sobeys Pharmacist will be happy to answer them.