SPEAKER 1: Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, ASCVD for short, can be caused by unhealthy levels of bad cholesterol or LDL that form plaques on the walls of your arteries and make them narrow and hardened.

High levels of bad cholesterol, or LDL cholesterol, can increase the chances you're going to develop blockages in your arteries and plaque will form inside of your arteries, very similar to the way that plaque can form on your teeth if you don't brush your teeth.

But there are a lot of other factors that also contribute to development of ASCVD, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, lack of exercise, and smoking. Over time, plaque can build up inside of your arteries and can slow or even block blood flow and oxygen coming from your heart to the rest of your body. This can lead to development of chest pains, or in a worst case scenario, can lead to heart attacks or even a stroke.

SPEAKER 2: In the US, there are over 800,000 heart attacks each year, one every 40 seconds.

SPEAKER 1: ASCVD can be genetic, which means you may have inherited some risk for development of artery blockages from your parents. Now there's not a lot that you can do with regard to your family history, but fortunately, there are several lifestyle changes that you can make to lower your risk.

Number one, quit smoking. Smoking is a known leading cause of ASCVD because it damages the lining of your arteries and make it much more likely that you will develop a blockage in a heart artery. Number two, a healthy diet. One easy way to reduce your risk is to change your diet. It's important to eliminate high fatty foods such as greasy foods, fried foods, burgers, pizza, foods that are very high in sugar content, and eliminate processed foods.

Instead, you should try and mix in healthier alternatives such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains.

Number three, exercise. Exercising is extremely important. The American Heart Association recommends that you exercise for 150 minutes per week at a moderate level of intensity. It's probably easier to think about this as obtaining 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise five days a week. That can include things such as biking or power walking or swimming.

They also recommend that if possible, you obtain 75 minutes of strenuous exercise such as going for a run, power lifting, and strength training.

SPEAKER 2: ASCVD is manageable, and these three steps will go a long way in lowering your risk of a heart attack or stroke. If you have also been diagnosed with diabetes, you need to be even more careful.

SPEAKER 1: Diabetes is a major risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, and it also greatly increases the chance that your blockages in your arteries will increase. It is extremely important, if you have diabetes and ASCVD, that you follow up very closely with your doctors to make sure that the diabetes is very well controlled.

SPEAKER 2: ASCVD is a long-term challenge. And while these lifestyle changes will provide significant benefits, you'll still need to monitor your progress along the way.

SPEAKER 1: It's very important that you make sure that your cholesterol levels are rechecked regularly, and that your other risk factors for cardiovascular disease are all controlled. If you do this, there's a good chance that we can keep away a lot of the complications that often occur with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.