Bill Clinton's recent health scare underscored the importance of maintaining good heart health. The former president had been eating well, exercising and keeping his blood pressure and cholesterol under control since his quadruple bypass surgery in 2004, according to recent news reports.

In spite of all of their efforts, sometimes patients like Clinton still need to have blocked arteries repaired up to a decade after bypass surgeries, according to the Associated Press article. Genetics and prior eating habits may play a role in the necessary repairs. Clinton was famous for indulging his cheeseburger habit.

Indeed, heart disease can be a lifetime struggle and even deadly. It is the leading cause of death among men and women in the United States, and accounts for 26 percent of deaths among African Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

That is why the CDC encourages prevention of heart disease. Methods include following a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly and not smoking.

Below is a summary of some heart-healthy food and nutrition choices gathered by Foodconsumer.org:

1) Vitamin K2 supplements and green vegetables can help cut the risk of coronary heart disease, according to a study released in the September 2009 issue of Nutrition, Metabolism, and Cardiovascular Diseases.

2) Green tea may lower the risk of heart disease in men by "reducing coronary atherosclerosis, a condition that leads to other heart diseases, heart attack and stroke."

3) Vitamin D supplements can help reduce the risk of stroke, heart disease and death, according to a study conducted by researchers at the Heart Institute at Intermountain Medical Center in Salt Lake City. "People with very low levels of vitamin D were 77 percent more likely to die, while 45 percent were more likely to suffer coronary artery disease; 78 percent were more likely to have a stroke than those with normal levels of the sunshine vitamin,'' the study found.

4) Fish high in omega-3 fatty acids can help reduce the risk heart disease.