New Delhi: September 29 is celebrated as World Heart Day after it was founded by the World Heart Federation in 2000 to inform people around the world that heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of death.

On this occasion, let's take a quick look at five simple ways to avoid heart-related diseases.

Healthy diet: Maintaining a diet comprises a balance of nutrients like protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins, and minerals. Add fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy products and foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. To reduce and maintain cholesterol and blood pressure levels, reduce intake of salt, sweet and red meat.

Regular exercise: Maintaining an active lifestyle helps improve blood circulation, lower cholesterol and blood pressure levels. This would also aid in maintaining better health and reduce the possibility of a heart attack.

Smoking and consumption of alcohol: While smoking increases the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and stroke, consuming alcohol causes an increase in blood pressure that increases the chances of heart attack or a stroke.

Find adequate sleep: Having a night of proper sleep is a must as the risk of disorders like diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure would lead to a heart attack or stroke.

Balance blood sugar: High level of sugar in one's blood is risky, as it could damage the arteries that are found in the case of pre-diabetics as well as diabetics. Taking regular check-ups to ensure that blood sugar is in control, could prevent diabetes and heart problems.