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Can you lower your risk for heart failure? In a word: yes.
While some risk factors for this common heart condition, such as family history and congenital heart disease (heart problems that are present at birth), are out of your control, there are many lifestyle changes you can make to lower your risk. And since heart failure is usually caused by damage that weakens the heart muscle, the same approaches can also help prevent a heart attack.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is “paramount,” says Andrew Behunin, DO, a cardiologist at MountainStar Heart Center at St. Mark’s Hospital, in Salt Lake City, Utah. In his experience, being active and mindful of your food choices are among the most effective ways to improve your heart health.
Keep reading to learn more about risk factors for heart failure, and what you can do to lower each of them.
Sources: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institut... + 14
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- Johns Hopkins Medicine. Alcohol and heart health: Separating fact from fiction. Accessed on March 25, 2023.
