Dr. Shepherd: Heart disease, like any other disease state, has both controllable and uncontrollable risk factors.
The factors that we don’t have control over are our genetics and family history. People should be aware of these risk factors in order to mitigate their risk as much as they can.
Then there are controllable risk factors. These are primarily lifestyle factors or how we operate in our daily lives. They include preventive behaviors like diet, exercise, and stress. Nutrition and physical activity are key to preventing both heart disease and obesity.
If you’re able to control these modifiable health behaviors, you will decrease your overall risk of heart disease.
