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11 Things You Can Start Doing Now

Choose to change your health direction — you and your loved ones can gain big rewards from small steps.

1		Get tested! Start now to prevent heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. And share this brochure with the men in your life to help guide their discussions at future doctor visits.
	•	Request a Test
	•	Testing Timetable
2	Get involved in your healthcare
	•	Share your family history
	•	Listen to your body
	•	Ask questions and share the information
3	Ask your doctor about available tests Quest Diagnostics continually offers new tests to improve your health and your family's health.
4	Stop smoking
	•	Women who smoke are twice as likely to get cervical cancer, compared with nonsmokers
	•	Smokers have two to four times the risk of heart disease, compared with nonsmokers, and double the risk of stroke
	•	After one year of not smoking, risk of coronary artery disease drops by half
5	Lower your blood pressure You'll lower your risk of heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and kidney disease.
6	Keep cholesterol down The higher the cholesterol level, the higher your risk of heart disease.
7	Get moving
	•	Exercise helps keep your blood vessels clear, keeps your heart muscle strong, and improves blood pressure
	•	Brisk walking for as little as 1 to 2 hours per week can reduce a woman's risk of breast cancer by 18%
	•	Exercise lowers blood sugar levels by taking glucose from your bloodstream to use for energy
8	Lose weight
	•	Losing weight can lower your risk of heart attack
	•	Losing 10 to 15 pounds can slow the progression of diabetes
	•	Being overweight increases risk for diabetes, hypertension, and certain types of cancer
9	Keep an eye on your blood glucose levels
	•	Diabetes doubles your risk of stroke
	•	Controlling blood glucose levels can delay or prevent diabetes complications
10	Change your diet
	•	Eating more fruits and vegetables can help lower your risk of some cancers and heart disease
	•	"Heart healthy" foods also include fish with omega-3 fatty acids and soy
11	Don't drink heavily More than 2 to 5 drinks a day nearly doubles the risk of breast cancer and has been linked to increased risk of other cancers.

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