NEWSWEEK – The leading cause of death in the United States is heart disease, accounting for roughly 1 in every 5 deaths nationwide. However, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 3 of these deaths are preventable.
High blood pressure and cholesterol are both major risk factors for heart disease and stroke and affect roughly half of all American adults. The good news is that both of these risk factors can be significantly reduced by simple changes in lifestyle.
So, what can you do to effectively lower your blood pressure and cholesterol? Newsweek spoke to cardiologist Stephanie Saucier to find out.
High blood pressure, scientifically known as hypertension, affects nearly half of American adults, the CDC reports. You need a certain amount of pressure to keep blood flow moving around your body, and blood pressure naturally goes up and down throughout the day in line with your body’s needs. However, problems may start to occur when the pressure is always high, even when you are resting.
