“Heart disease prevention is no longer something we start later in life,” Dr. Estelle Jean, cardiologist with MedStar Health, told WTOP.<\/p>\n
People between ages 20 and 40 should be taking steps now to prevent heart attacks and strokes, according to new recommendations<\/a> from the American Heart Association.<\/p>\n \u201cHeart disease prevention is no longer something we start later in life,\u201d Dr. Estelle Jean, a cardiologist at MedStar Montgomery Medical Center in Olney, Maryland, told WTOP. \u201cYou can feel completely healthy in your 20s or 30s but still be developing many \u2026 risk factors.\u201d<\/p>\n Jean urged people in that age group to know their current blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar numbers, and take action early to prevent disease.<\/p>\n One in every two adults over age 20 has high blood pressure<\/a>, Jean said.<\/p>\n \u201cNormal blood pressure is considered less than 120 over 80, but the more recent hypertension guidelines define high blood pressure more than 130 over 80,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n To help people determine their risk, it\u2019s now recommended that all adults get what\u2019s called a \u201clipoprotein(a)\u201d cholesterol test<\/a>. It checks for levels of a cholesterol carrying lipoprotein in your blood, which is inherited.<\/p>\n \u201cIt stays pretty consistent and steady within our life span, and so the new guidelines do recommend getting it checked at least one time throughout your life,\u201d Jean said.<\/p>\n Eating poorly in your 20s and 30s can lead to high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Jean recommended thinking of food as medicine, eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, and avoiding saturated fats.<\/p>\n She also urged patients to get at least two and half hours per week of moderate intensity exercise, which can be broken up into 30 minute sessions five times a week<\/a>, along with strength training at least twice a week.<\/p>\n