Healthy lifestyles reduce the risk of heart failure

Individuals who avoid tobacco, exercise regularly, eat a nutritious diet and maintain a healthy weight may be significantly less likely to experience heart failure and require a prescription to buy Plavix, according to a new study published in the journal Circulation.

Close to 6 million people in the U.S. develop heart failure each year and it is considered one of the leading causes of death. While many factors can contribute to the condition, lifestyle choices are among the most important.

For the study, researchers tracked the health of nearly 40,000 adults over a period of more than 14 years. They found that smoking, exercise, diet and body weight all impacted a person's risk of developing heart failure individually. Those who pursued healthy practices in all areas were the least likely to develop the condition.

"Any steps you take to stay healthy can reduce your risk of heart failure," said lead study author Gang Hu, from the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, La. "Hypothetically, about half of new heart failure cases occurring in this population could have been prevented if everyone engaged in at least three healthy lifestyle behaviors."