Ways to Improve Heart Health and Prevent Heart Disease

Research has shown that simple lifestyle changes, including eating a balanced diet, exercising, managing stress, and quitting smoking, can significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease [2]. 

People can enhance their overall quality of life and support long-term heart health by regularly adopting these practices. 

Avoid Smoking and Other Tobacco Products

When you think of the health hazards of smoking, lung cancer might be the first thing that comes to mind. However, tobacco smoking is also a significant risk factor for heart disease. Even exposure to secondhand smoke raises your risk of developing heart disease.

Smoking even one or two cigarettes a day significantly raises your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. The risk of having a heart attack is more than double for smokers compared to nonsmokers [3]. 

Tobacco contains chemicals that may cause damage to the heart and blood vessels. Smoking cigarettes reduces blood oxygen levels, causing blood pressure and heart rate to rise because the heart must work harder to pump enough oxygen to the brain and body.   

Quitting smoking or avoiding smokeless tobacco is one of the best things you can do for your heart’s health. The risk of heart disease begins to decline as soon as you stop smoking, regardless of how long or how much you smoked [4]. 

Eat a Heart-Healthy Diet

A healthy diet helps improve blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes, ultimately protecting the heart.

A heart-friendly diet involves providing your heart with the nutrients it needs to function properly while reducing or eliminating ingredients that can raise your blood pressure or clog your arteries.

The heart-healthy diet includes the Mediterranean diet and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan. The Mediterranean diet emphasizes plant-based foods and healthy fats. DASH is designed to lower blood pressure by focusing on heart-healthy foods such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, and reducing salt, added sugar, and unhealthy fats [5].

Generally, a heart-healthy diet plan consists of [6]:

• Vegetables and fruits.
• Beans or other legumes.
• Lean meat and fish.
• Low-fat or fat-free dairy foods.
• Whole grains.
• Healthy fats such as olive oil 

Avoid consuming the following:

• Salt or high-sodium meals.
• Sugar or sweetened beverages.
• Highly refined carbohydrates.
• Alcohol.
• Highly processed food, such as processed meats.
• Saturated fat (present in red meat, full-fat dairy products, palm oil, and coconut oil).
• Trans fat (present in some fried fast food and baked items).

Keep a Healthy Weight

Heart disease is more likely to occur in those who are overweight, particularly around the waist. Being overweight can result in conditions that increase the risk of heart disease, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.

The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a calculation that analyzes a person’s height and weight to assess body fat and classify them as underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese. If your BMI is 25 or over, you are considered overweight, which raises the risk of heart disease and the conditions associated with it. Another helpful indicator for determining the amount of belly fat you have is your waist circumference. 

In general, strive for [7]:

• A body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 24.9
• A waist circumference of fewer than 40 inches for males
• A waist circumference of fewer than 35 inches for females

Losing even a small amount of weight can improve heart health and help prevent heart disease.

• Even 3% to 5% weight loss helps decrease blood fats known as triglycerides [6].
• It lowers glucose (blood sugar), cutting the risk of Type 2 diabetes.
• Further weight loss lowers blood cholesterol and blood pressure.

Engage in Physical Activity

Regular physical activity can keep your heart healthy and reduce the risk of heart disease. Being physically active improves the heart’s blood pumping and helps prevent or control several heart disease risk factors, such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and obesity.

For remaining physically active, you should do the following: 

• Engage in moderately intense exercise for 30 minutes five days a week, such as swimming or brisk walking.
• Engage in 25 minutes of intense physical activity, such as running, three days a week.
• Do two or more strength training sessions a week.

Even brief periods of physical activity are beneficial to the heart; moving for just five minutes can make a difference. Activities that count toward your total include housework, walking the dog, gardening, and using the stairs.

Although you can benefit without exercising too hard, increasing the intensity, duration, and frequency of your workouts will yield greater advantages. 

Get Quality Sleep

Sleep deprivation increases your risk of developing conditions that cause heart disease, including diabetes, overweight/obesity, and high blood pressure.

Adults require seven to nine hours of sleep every night. It can be challenging when life becomes hectic. However, you may protect your heart by attempting to get more and better quality sleep.

Establish and follow a sleep schedule. Get into bed and wake up at the same times every day to achieve that. Ensure your bedroom is peaceful and dark to improve your sleep quality. Limit screen use before bedtime.

Manage High Blood Pressure

Blood pressure measures the force in your arteries every time your heart beats. High blood pressure causes the heart and kidneys to work harder, increasing the risk of stroke, renal disease, heart attack, and heart failure over time. 

Ideally, your blood pressure should be 120/80 millimeters of mercury (mmHg). Manage your blood pressure by:

• Eating a low-sodium diet
• Keeping a healthy weight
• Taking medications if prescribed

Manage Stress

Continuous stress can contribute to elevated blood pressure and other heart disease risk factors. Rather than dealing with stress in unhealthy ways, such as overeating or smoking, manage it with healthy activities, including exercise, mindfulness, yoga, meditation, and relaxation exercises.

 If stress becomes excessive, seek medical attention. Long-term stress may lead to mental health issues like depression and anxiety. These disorders are also linked to risk factors for heart disease, such as elevated blood pressure. Seeking help is crucial if you suspect that you may have anxiety or depression. 

Get Regular Health Check-ups

High blood pressure and cholesterol levels can be detrimental to the heart and blood vessels. However, you probably won’t know if you have these problems if you don’t get checked for them. The results of routine screening tests might help you determine your health status and whether you need to take any action. 

Blood Pressure:

Blood pressure screening should start at age 18. 

• • For adults 18–39 years old with normal blood pressure and no risk factors, screening every 3–5 years is considered appropriate [8].
  • For adults 40 years and older, or those at higher risk (such as being overweight or having a family history of hypertension), annual screening is recommended [8].

Cholesterol Screening:

• • Cholesterol screening should start between the ages of 9 and 11 [9].
  • For adults aged 20 to 65, screening should be done every 5 years. Men aged 45 to 65 and women aged 55 to 65 should have a screening every 1 to 2 years [9].
  • Adults above 65 should be screened annually [9].

Type 2 Diabetes Screening:

• • Your healthcare provider may recommend early screening if you have any of the risk factors for diabetes, such as obesity or family history [10].
  • Screening should begin at age 45 regardless of risk factors. If results are normal, repeat screening every 3 years [10].

Consult your doctor if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol. They might advise lifestyle modifications and prescribe medications. Adhere to a healthy lifestyle plan and take your medications exactly as directed.