Healthy choices go a long way in lowering your risk for heart attack or stroke. Try these three heart-smart strategies:

1.  Kick the Habit

How smoking affects your heart: Cigarettes are linked to about 25% of heart disease-related deaths. Within just a year of quitting, you will have cut your risk of developing heart disease in half.

How your provider can help: Ask them for tobacco cessation products or other tools to help you quit. It's worth the effort to stop smoking.

2.  Use Aspirin as Directed

How aspirin affects your heart: Low-dose aspirin thins the blood when you take it everyday. This helps prevent blood clots that can trigger strokes and heart attacks.

How your provider can help: Daily aspirin is not for everyone. Talk with your provider to see whether this is right for you.

3.  Control Your Blood Pressure and Cholesterol

How these conditions affect your heart: Plaque buildup from cholesterol makes it hard for blood to flow throughout the body. A high pressure of blood against your vessel walls makes your heart work harder and less effectively. Is a low-dose CT Heart Scan right for you? Find out here.

How your provider can help: They can prescribe any medications that can control your cholesterol and blood pressure. You have a part to play too. A healthy lifestyle — not smoking, not drinking too much alcohol, exercising and maintaining a healthy weight — can lessen the strain on your kidneys, blood vessels and heart. 

Need help finding a provider? WellConnect offers a complimentary concierge service where you can connect with specialists who help with establishing relationships with healthcare providers, navigating health insurance, and accessing CRH services.