Dr Christi Deaton on the Most Important Steps for Cardiovascular Prevention

Christi Deaton, PhD, RN, FAHA, FESC, of the University of Cambridge discusses the necessary steps for patients to take in order to prevent cardiovascular conditions.

Transcript (slightly modified)

What are the most important steps a patient should take for cardiovascular prevention?

So much of the cardiovascular conditions that we see, or other conditions like cancer, can be prevented. Not everything, of course, but it’s been said that we can prevent 80% of cardiovascular disease if people make changes to their physical activity levels, to the way they eat—that they’re eating a healthy diet with lots of fruits and vegetables. A Mediterranean diet, I think, is still probably the healthiest. We haven’t had any evidence that suggests it’s not. So, it’s the whole grains, it’s lots of fruits and vegetables, and your protein—or lean protein—so you’re eating more chicken and fish, particularly oily fish, you’re not eating any processed meat, and very little red meat. So, these are all really important. Of course, not smoking and if you are smoking, smoking cessation is of course incredibly important. Those are the key areas, I think.