• Quit Smoking
• Get Sensible Exercise
• Get Tested for Diabetes
• Control High Blood Pressure
• Form a Partnership for Health
• Keep Alcohol Use Moderate
• Strive for Balance
• Maintain a Health Body Weight

• What is Blood Pressure? What Happens When It's High?
• How is Blood Pressure Checked and What Do the Numbers Mean?
• What Causes High Blood Pressure?
• Preventing High Blood Pressure
• If You Have High Blood Pressure

• Activities and Calories Used in Exercise
• Sample Walking Program
• Test Your Physical Activity and Heart Disease IQ
• Successful Exercise at a Glance

• Low-fat Cooking
• Eating Right in Every Location
• Diet tips at a Glance
• Calculate Your Body Mass Index
• Using the Food Label
• What is Cholesterol and Why Does it Matter?
• What Your Cholesterol Numbers Mean
• What Affects Blood Cholesterol Levels
• What Can You Do to Lower Your Blood Cholesterol
• Eating Right and Staying Active
• A Daily Food Guide
• Shopping the Heart-Healthy Way

The partnership between you and your doctor is an important first step to ensuring your heart health.

Your doctor can collect information from various diagnostic procedures that will provide a clear picture of your current heart health. If your heart is in good shape, together with your doctor you can develop a plan to minimize your risks of developing heart disease in the future. Your doctor can also advise you about any risk factors you may have that would increase the likelihood of your developing heart disease, such as family history or age.

Also, by having this partnership in place, if you do show signs of heart disease, or begin to develop heart disease, your doctor will be able to detect it at its earliest stages. Your doctor can then recommend appropriate treatment, which might include behavior modification -- such as losing weight, reducing stress, quitting smoking, increasing activity levels -- as well as medication and other treatment methods that meet your specific needs.

If you require more advanced heart care, such as surgery, the important relationship and trust you have established with your doctor will help you face the challenges ahead. The more you understand heart disease and the risk factors associated with the disease, the better equipped you will be to keep or regain your healthy heart.