If your doctor says your risk of developing heart disease is higher than normal, or if your family has a history of heart disease, you need to be even more concerned. Heart disease is not to be taken lightly, lest you take a chance of leaving us all too soon.

But there are measures that you can take to help control your heart disease risk factors. If you make an effort to take them, you can reduce your risk of heart disease by a large margin.

Here are 4 lifestyle tips for a healthy heart:

• Have your doctor check your cholesterol level regularly. If your LDL cholesterol level is too high, he might recommend a special diet, prescribe medications, recommend an exercise routine, or any combination of the above to lower your cholesterol and reduce your risk of heart disease.



• Exercise (with your doctor's approval) for at least 30 minutes, three or more times per week. Cardiovascular exercise helps strengthen the heart and lowers the risk for heart disease.



• Limiting alcohol consumption and not smoking are excellent ways to help keep your heart and lungs healthy. Heart disease is much more likely in smokers than in those who refuse to "kick the habit".



• If you're overweight, lose it! See your doctor for help if you need it. And while you're there, get a complete check-up and follow it up with regular checkups after that. People who are too heavy are at an extremely elevated risk of heart disease and a host of other health problems. The risk of heart disease isn't something that you can safely ignore. Heart disease is responsible for the premature loss of many thousands each year. Follow these simple steps and maintain a healthy heart!