Prevention

The best way to prevent heart failure is to:

• Lower your risk of getting heart disease by making lifestyle changes.
• Control certain health problems, such as high blood pressure and diabetes.

To reduce your risk:

• Don't smoke. If you smoke, quit. Smoking greatly increases your risk for heart disease. Avoid secondhand smoke too.
• Lower your cholesterol. If you have high cholesterol, follow your doctor's advice for lowering it. Eating a heart-healthy diet—such as the TLC diet —exercising, and quitting smoking will help keep your cholesterol low.
• Control your blood pressure. High blood pressure raises your risk of getting heart disease and heart failure. Exercising, limiting alcohol, and controlling stress will help keep your blood pressure in a healthy range.
• Get regular exercise. Exercise will help control your weight, blood pressure, and stress. Controlling these things will help keep your heart healthy. Try to do activities that raise your heart rate. Aim for at least 2½ hours of moderate exercise a week. One way to do this is to be active at least 10 minutes 3 times a day, 5 days a week. Talk to your doctor before starting an exercise program.
• Control diabetes. Take your medicines as directed, and work with your doctor to make a diet and exercise plan to control diabetes.
• Limit alcohol. If you drink alcohol, drink moderately. This means no more than 2 drinks a day for men and 1 drink a day for women. Heavy consumption of alcohol can lead to heart failure.