Reduce heart risk by smoking cessation, eat healthy, exercise

ATLANTA, Sept. 17 (UPI) -- Cardiovascular disease is the leading killer in the United States, but a researcher says healthy living can reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke.

Researcher Linda Schieb said a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found in 2010, more than 200,000 U.S. adults age 75 and younger died of cardiovascular disease. These were preventable deaths, she said.

However, Schieb noted healthier living can make a big difference in reducing heart risk, but the advice isn't anything people haven't heard before.

"If they do smoke, they should stop smoking, increase their physical activity to two-and-half hours per week, eat a healthy diet and maintain a healthy weight," Schieb said.

People can have risk factors like high blood pressure or cholesterol, and not know it, so an annual check-up can help identify these risk factors, the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report said.