From 1993 to 2003, the death rate from coronary artery disease (CAD) declined by 22% in the United States.³ This decline is attributed to the steps people are taking to prevent coronary artery disease, including lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, changing diet and exercise habits, quitting smoking, and getting improved medical care.

Coronary artery disease is caused by the buildup of plaque on the inside of the coronary arteries, the blood vessels that supply oxygen-rich blood to heart muscle. You too can take measures to delay the progression and even reverse coronary artery disease.

Quitting smoking may be the most important step you can take to prevent coronary artery disease. According to the World Health Organization, after 1 year of not smoking, a person's risk of coronary artery disease decreases by 50%. After 15 years of not smoking, the risk of death due to coronary artery disease is equal to that of someone who has never smoked at all.³

Exercising regularly and eating a balanced diet that is low in saturated fats and rich in fruits and vegetables are also advised.

Lifestyle changes

• Quit smoking. Quitting smoking may be the most important step you can take to prevent coronary artery disease. Avoid secondhand smoke too.
• Control your cholesterol. This can be accomplished with diet, exercise, and medicines, if needed.
• Control your blood pressure. Follow the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet-which is designed to reduce high blood pressure with foods rich in potassium, calcium, and phosphorous-increase exercise, decrease alcohol intake, and take medicines, if needed, to control your blood pressure. For more information, see:

  Tips for following the DASH diet.

• Exercise. Exercise has many positive effects: weight management, cholesterol reduction, blood pressure control, blood sugar leveling in diabetes, triglyceride reduction, mood elevation, and increasing strength. Try to do activities that raise your heart rate. Exercise for at least 30 minutes on most, preferably all, days of the week. Talk to your doctor before starting an exercise program. For more information, see:

  Exercising for a healthy heart.

• Relax and reduce stress. Stress can negatively affect your heart in many ways, but you can lower your stress level through talking about your problems and your feelings, exercising, and doing deep breathing, meditation, or yoga.
• Manage depression and anger. Treating depression and managing anger are important steps in improving your overall health.
• Avoid getting sick from the flu. Get a flu shot every year.

General dietary considerations

• Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) diet is recommended by the National Cholesterol Education Program of the National Institutes of Health. The diet's main focus is to reduce the amount of saturated fat you eat because it elevates your cholesterol.¹⁴
  • Nutrient composition of the TLC diet
  • Tips for success with the TLC diet
  • Sample menu for the TLC diet
• American Heart Association healthy diet guidelines recommend limiting saturated fat and cholesterol intake, increasing fruits and vegetables, and limiting salt and alcohol.