CR's Guide to a Healthy Heart
This guide provides comprehensive advice on heart health. We describe the screening tests you need and outline steps you can take to protect your heart by, for example, lowering your blood pressure and controlling cholesterol levels.
If you already have heart disease, we discuss when drugs and lifestyle changes are enough and when surgical interventions are necessary.
Updated February 4, 2024
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Prevention
No matter your family history, a heart-healthy lifestyle—including a vegetable-heavy diet and regular physical activity—can help protect against heart disease. Skip shortcuts such as supplements, which won’t help, and opt for long-term lifestyle changes instead.
Surgery & Medication
In nearly all cases, you should ask your doctor whether you can try lifestyle changes first. But for certain types of heart disease, you will ultimately need medication and sometimes surgery to keep your heart healthy and strong. Here’s what you need to know to make smart decisions about whether you need surgery or prescription heart drugs.
