Cardiovascular Disease

​While certain types of cardiovascular disease cannot be prevented, such as congenital heart disease, adopting to a healthy lifestyle can help reduce the risk of developing a heart disease.

• Aerobic exercises such as brisk walking, jogging or swimming, is the best type of exercise for heart health. Walking is the safest form of exercise to start if you are uncertain of the level of intensity.
• Healthy adults should ideally complete at least 150 minutes a week of moderate intensity exercise (e.g. brisk walk). Seek your doctor’s advice for suitable physical exercise tailored to your condition.
  o Inactive adults should start gradually, with light or moderate intensity at a shorter duration (less than 10 min), with sessions spread throughout the week.
• Get 6 to 8 hours of sleep daily. Inadequate sleep of less than four hours or excess sleep more than 10 hours has been linked with increased risk of coronary artery disease.
  

• Stop smoking, if you are smoking. Smoking contributes to atherosclerosis and increases the risk of heart attack. Many stop-smoking aids can improve your chances of success in trying to quit smoking. Speak to your doctor for help in quitting smoking.
  
  
• Achieve and maintain a healthy BMI (Body Mass Index). Healthy range for Asians is from 18.5 to 22.9 kg/m2.