Cardiovascular diseases

Cardiovascular diseases are congenital and acquired diseases of the heart or blood vessels, including coronary heart diseases and stroke. Many risk factors have been identified, including lifestyle factors such as smoking and lack of physical exercise, diseases such as obesity and hyperlipaemia, and diet. Cardiovascular risk may be modified by lowering intake of saturated fats, modulating dietary fatty acid composition and increasing consumption of whole grains, fruits, vegetables and oily fish. Nutrition guidance targets these dietary levers as a cornerstone of heart-health prevention.