About 12.6 million Americans currently have heart disease.

1.1 million Americans will experience a serious heart event this year.

One in four Americans have some form of cardiovascular disease. Every 34 seconds one American will die as a result of cardiovascular disease.

No other disease claims as many women's lives as cardiovascular disease. One American woman dies each minute as a result of cardiovascular disease.

Around 700,000 Americans will have a stroke this years. That's one stroke every 45 seconds.

HEART DISEASE IS THE SINGLE BIGGEST KILLER OF AMERICANS. IT KILLS AS MANY AMERICANS AS THE NEXT 5 LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH.

One important step in reducing your risk of heart disease is to change your diet.

These are what you should consume less of:

1. Solid margarines, commercial white bread, high-fat baked items like doughnuts or cakes, any product saying "partially hydrogenated vegetable oils", french fries, potato chips, corn chips and many crackers, and commercially fried foods.

These foods contain trans fatty acids. These badly affect cholesterol levels and hence your risk of heart disease. They increase the levels of bad cholesterol and decrease the levels of good cholesterol.

Trans fatty acids are dangerous for the heart and may be worse than saturated fats. They also harm the linings of the arteries and may even increase your risk of getting type 2 diabetes.

2. Meat and dairy products.

These foods contain saturated fatty acids. These are bad for the heart.

The amount of trans fat and saturated fat in your diet should be less than 10 percent of your total calorie intake. In fact, you should try to eliminate them out of your diet altogether.

3. Salt.

You should have no more than one teaspoon of salt each day.