Adopt a healthier lifestyle

While you can't eliminate risk factors such as family history, you can control other risk factors for heart disease, stroke and cancer. For example:

• Don't smoke. If you do smoke or use other tobacco products, ask your doctor to help you quit. Avoid exposure to secondhand smoke.
• Eat a healthy diet. Choose vegetables, fruits, whole grains, high-fiber foods and lean sources of protein, such as fish. Limit foods high in saturated and trans fats, and foods with added sugar and sodium.
• Maintain a healthy weight. Losing excess pounds — and keeping them off — can lower your risk of heart disease as well as various types of cancer.
• Get moving. Exercise can help you control your weight and lower your risk of heart disease and stroke. It might also lower your risk of certain types of cancer. Choose activities you enjoy, from brisk walking to ballroom dancing. All forms of exercise will lower your risk.
• Limit alcohol. If you choose to drink alcohol, do so only in moderation. For women, that means no more than one drink a day. A drink is 1.5 fluid ounces (44 milliliters) of standard 80-proof liquor, 12 fluid ounces (355 milliliters) of beer or 5 fluid ounces (148 milliliters) of wine. The risk of various types of cancer — including breast and liver cancer — appears to increase with the amount of alcohol you drink and the length of time you've been drinking regularly. Too much alcohol can also raise your blood pressure, and increase your risk of heart attack and stroke.
• Manage stress. If you feel constantly on edge or under assault, your lifestyle habits might suffer — and so might your immune system. Take steps to reduce stress — or learn to deal with stress in healthy ways.

A healthy lifestyle might also play a role in preventing Alzheimer's disease.