How does unhealthy eating affect your heart

Excess weight can lead to high blood pressure , which, uncontrolled, can cause damage to your heart. This is a major risk factor for stroke, heart failure and abdominal arterial aneurysm. Being overweight increases your risk for atrial fibrillation AFib , which can lead to stroke, heart failure or other complications. Obesity can cause insulin resistance, which leads to prediabetes or diabetes — a known risk factor for heart disease. Ways to Avoid Overeating Choosing healthy, well-portioned meals is one of the first steps to reducing the risk of heart disease and other health issues.

Here are some ways to avoid overeating: Increase your water intake. You should aim for six to eight glasses a day, possibly more or less , depending on your body size. Control your portion sizes.

Ask yourself if you are really hungry before going for seconds. Skip to main content. Home Heart. Diet and heart disease risk. Actions for this page Listen Print. Summary Read the full fact sheet. On this page. Characteristics of heart disease Risk factors for heart disease Dietary fats and cholesterol levels Blood pressure and salt sodium Reduce your heart disease risk with healthy eating Foods important for heart health How to reduce your risk of heart disease with healthy eating Where to get help.

Characteristics of heart disease Heart disease results from the narrowing of the arteries that supply the heart with blood through a process known as atherosclerosis. Risk factors for heart disease There are many factors that can increase your risk of heart disease. Risk factors that can't be changed Risk factors within your control Age Smoking status Gender Diet Ethnicity Cholesterol levels Family history of heart disease Blood pressure Body weight Diabetes management Physical activity levels Depression and social isolation.

Give feedback about this page. Was this page helpful? Yes No. View all heart. Related information. From other websites Heart Foundation. Content disclaimer Content on this website is provided for information purposes only. Reviewed on: After years of public health messages promoting healthy eating, most people now know that a poor diet can increase their risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.

In addition, another group of researchers says that fewer overweight and obese people are trying to lose weight, another factor leading to increased risk for heart disease. Read more: Risk factors for heart disease ».

Researchers in the diet study used risk assessment models and national data on dietary habits to determine how many of the more than , deaths in from heart disease, stroke, or type 2 diabetes were due to poor diet. Top on the list was excess intake of sodium, which researchers estimated accounted for almost 10 percent of the deaths. Vegetable oils like those found in soybeans, sunflower seeds, and walnuts are high in polyunsaturated fats , which are known to reduce harmful cholesterol levels.

Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, herring, and sardines are high in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Non-fish sources of omega-3s are also available — like flaxseeds, chia seeds, and microalgae — but were not looked at in this study.

In the study, diet accounted for a greater fraction of deaths among African-Americans and Hispanics compared with whites, as well as among adults with low levels of education compared to those with high levels of education.

The study was published Mar. Read more: Risk factors for type 2 diabetes ». Lawrence Appel, MPH, caution that the results of the study are from observational research rather than stronger long-term randomized trials, which are difficult to do in nutritional research. Drinking too much alcohol can raise blood pressure levels and the risk for heart disease. It also increases levels of triglycerides, a fatty substance in the blood which can increase the risk for heart disease.

Women should have no more than 1 drink a day. Men should have no more than 2 drinks a day. Tobacco use increases the risk for heart disease and heart attack: Cigarette smoking can damage the heart and blood vessels, which increases your risk for heart conditions such as atherosclerosis and heart attack. Nicotine raises blood pressure. Carbon monoxide from cigarette smoke reduces the amount of oxygen that your blood can carry.

Exposure to secondhand smoke can also increase the risk for heart disease, even for nonsmokers. How do genetics and family history affect the risk of heart disease? Do age and sex affect the risk of heart disease? Do race and ethnicity affect the risk of heart disease? NCHS data brief, no. Accessed May 9, Atlanta, GA: U. National Center for Health Statistics. Health, United States, Get Email Updates. To receive email updates about this page, enter your email address: Email Address.