Heart disease is any disorder that affects the heart's ability to function normally. It may be a leading cause of death. However, you can prevent it by leading a heart- healthy lifestyle. Here are some ways you can prevent heart diseases:

• Laugh: A recent study by cardiologists of University of Maryland Medical Center found that laughter, along with an active sense of humor, may help prevent heart attacks. When under stress, the body releases certain chemicals that causes the heart rate and blood pressure to accelerate. So people who are under a lot of stress are at a risk of heart attacks even if there's no family history of heart diseases. Laughter, on the other hand, helps in improving the lining of the blood vessels.

• Drink tea: Drinking tea and eating anti- oxidant foods may help prevent heart diseases. It has also been found that drinking green or black tea helps reduce constriction of blood vessels after a high fat meal. Skip the milk in the tea as milk may negate the health effects.

• Regular screenings:Regular screenings are another way to protect yourself from heart diseases. The earlier you start screening and testing, the more diseases you can prevent. Get your cholesterol and blood pressure checked at regular intervals and other necessary tests done. Visit a care unit for knowing more about cardiovascular diseases.Click here to know more.

• Quit smoking or taking tobacco: Smoking or using tobacco is one of the greatest factors in inducing heart diseases. Chemicals in tobacco can damage the heart and heart vessels and lead to narrowing of the arteries that can ultimately lead to heart attacks. The nicotine in cigarettes narrows your blood vessels and increases your blood pressure and heart rate. The carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke replaces some of the oxygen in your blood. This, in turn, increases blood pressure by making the heart pump harder to produce more oxygen. Women who smoke and take birth control pills are at greater risk of heart diseases, with the risk increasing with age. The good news in when you quit smoking, your risk of heart disease dramatically drops within one year.

• Exercise: Do exercises on a daily basis to keep heart problems at bay. With physical activity, you can reduce your body weight and thus control your chances of developing other problems like high cholesterol, diabetes and high blood pressure. So try getting 30- 60 minutes of intense physical activity. You can even break up the time in smaller intervals of 10 minutes. Even daily activities, like gardening, climbing the stairs, housekeeping or walking the dog adds to the total.

• Eat right: Eat a healthy diet that's low in fat and cholesterol. Increase your intake of vitamins, especially antioxidants. Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, cereals, whole grain breads, beans, seeds and nuts. Choose and prepare foods with little sodium [salt] as too much can increase your blood pressure. Try avoiding foods and drinks that are high in added sugars.