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Next Steps

Prevention

To help prevent atherosclerosis, a person needs to reduce/eliminate the modifiable risk factors that one has (high blood pressure, high blood glucose levels, high blood cholesterol levels, cigarette smoking, obesity, lack of exercise).

One should eat a healthy diet low in saturated fat and rich in fruits and vegetables.

If emotional stress is a problem, one should find ways to reduce or control it.

Fortunately, taking steps to tackle some of the risk factors helps to modify other risk factors. For example, exercise helps a person to lose weight, which in turn helps to lower cholesterol levels and blood pressure.