Five tips to prevent cardiovascular disease

While certain risk factors, such as age or heredity, cannot be changed, other aspects can be acted upon to prevent heart attacks or strokes.

Risk factors for cardiovascular disease:

Glucose levels (diabetes is also a risk factor for cardiovascular disease)

Lack of physical activity is the main risk factor for coronary heart disease, because a sedentary lifestyle stores fat in the blood. Being more active helps to reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels. What's more, sport has a positive impact on both blood pressure and blood sugar levels.

To prevent cardiovascular disease, take regular exercise such as brisk walking (at least 30 minutes a day). Or you can opt for endurance activities three or four times a week.

To prevent the risk of cardiovascular disease, avoid processed foods that are low in nutrients and are too sweet, salty or fatty. Adopt the Mediterranean diet, with lots of fruit and vegetables, olive and rapeseed oils (eaten raw), and wholegrain cereals, while minimising fatty meats.

Favour poultry and fish and eat red meat no more than once a week. Limit your egg consumption to three or four times a week. Don't forget to stay hydrated, drinking at least two litres of water a day. And reduce your salt intake. These nutritional tips can go a long way towards preventing cardiovascular disease.

Almost one in three Swiss people are overweight. By contributing to atherosclerosis, the build-up of plaque on the walls of the arteries, and other diseases such as hypertension, hyperlipidaemia and diabetes, being overweight reduces life expectancy. Our advice: calculate your body mass index (BMI) regularly.

If you want to lose weight, don't force yourself to cut calories, but increase fibre and protein and reduce fatty and sugary foods. Beware of the fats and carbohydrates hidden in cold meats, sauces, alcohol and processed foods. Start practising a sport again and, above all, be patient. Aim for a steady loss of 1-2 kgs a month rather than crash diets.

Chronic stress not only disrupts our nervous system but also harms the heart and blood circulation. Practise deep breathing exercises regularly, such as heart coherence or meditation. Sport and exercise also help reduce stress.

You also need to keep an eye on the quality of your sleep so that you can regulate your nervous system. Even though we're all different, our bodies need at least seven hours of sleep every night to function normally. Reducing stress is therefore a good way of reducing cardiovascular risk.

Smokers are four times more likely to suffer a heart attack, according to the Swiss Heart Foundation. Tobacco smoke not only attacks the lungs, it is also very bad for the heart and blood vessels. If you quit smoking, your risk of heart attack can fall drastically.

As you can see, by taking simple steps and (re)adopting healthier lifestyle habits, you have the power to have a major impact on your heart health, to protect yourself and prevent serious cardiovascular disease.