How to Keep Your Heart Healthy

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, killing almost 650,000 Americans every year. That’s a quarter of the total deaths in the United States. Keeping your heart healthy starts with talking to your doctor and getting control of any existing health conditions like diabetes and hypertension, but there are several other changes you can make to improve your health and reduce your risk of heart disease on your own.

Seek Primary Care Services

The first and best thing you can do to protect your heart health is talk to your primary care provider. He or she will be able to advise you on your current risk profile and ways you can lower your risk of heart disease, if necessary. The following advice is great for most people who find they have room for improvement in these areas, but your primary care provider can offer individualized advice and tell you what your most impactful changes will be.

Diabetes and High Blood Pressure

Other chronic health conditions can contribute to your risk of heart disease. Diabetes and high blood pressure are two of the most common culprits. Better management of your existing conditions can dramatically reduce your risk of heart disease down the line. Fortunately, a lot of the advice for reducing your risk of heart disease will also help in the management of diabetes and blood pressure, so the results will be compounded in a good way.

Rethink Your Diet

Temporary diets to reduce weight or address health issues are only successful about 5% of the time. When you’re serious about improving your health now and in the future, it’s important to approach your diet as a lifestyle. The best diet for reducing the risk of heart disease is a largely plant-based diet, full of fruits, veggies, whole grains, and nuts. Lose the refined carbs and added sugars and go easy on the red or processed meats. The first step for a lot of people is to stop drinking sugary beverages.

Increase Your Activity

Current events have most of us stuck at home in front of a computer for seemingly endless hours every day. It can be difficult to find the time to get moving, but your diet isn’t enough on its own, no matter how healthy it is. To reduce the risk of heart disease, get yourself moving for at least 40 minutes four times a week. Aerobic exercise like jogging, swimming, and cycling is best for heart health.

Quit Smoking

Cigarette smokers are two to four times more likely to develop heart disease. Women over 35 who smoke and take hormonal birth control are at much higher risk for stroke, as well. Cigarettes can cause a serious increase in blood pressure, which is associated with heart disease. If you need help, talk to your doctor, avoid known triggers, give yourself a set amount of time to get past each craving, and replace the unhealthy habit with something healthy like exercise or meditation.

Reduce Your Alcohol

There is some evidence that small amounts of alcohol can help lower blood pressure, but too much can cause immediate and long-term spikes that increase your risk of heart disease. If your alcohol consumption is currently three or more drinks per day, lowering it to two or fewer drinks can improve your chances of avoiding heart disease. If you currently drink two drinks or fewer per day, talk to your doctor about how alcohol might be affecting your blood pressure.

Manage Your Weight

If your BMI is over 24.9 and your waist circumference is higher than 39 inches (men) or 34 inches (women), your risk for heart disease is elevated. There is some controversy over this subject that’s mostly centered on the fact that overweight and obese people can have healthy blood pressure and be nondiabetic. While that’s true, excess body fat is like smoking. You can be a “healthy” smoker, but your risk for serious health conditions in the future is dramatically higher if you don’t quit. The good news is that your risk can be significantly decreased by a relatively small decrease in weight. Improving your diet and increasing your level of aerobic activity is a good start. Talk to your primary care provider about other ways you improve your chances of success.

Control Your Stress

From adrenaline and high blood pressure to inflammation and reduced HDL cholesterol, elevated levels of stress cause reactions in your body that are directly linked to heart disease. Becoming stressed for short periods now and then is typically not seen as a risk factor. If you suffer from chronic stress, characterized by insomnia, inability to focus, aches, and a sense of pressure, talk to your primary care provider about how you can manage your life with less stress. Prioritizing sleep and physical activity are common suggestions.

You can do it. Your doctor can help.

Some of the recommended changes are difficult to accomplish. You can help yourself be successful by reminding yourself of the benefits when you think you might get off track. By quitting smoking, you’re saving your loved ones from secondhand smoke. By losing weight, you’re reducing your risk of several chronic diseases. And by reducing your overall risk of heart disease, you’re adding years to your life. Talk to your doctor if you’re struggling with any of these changes or if you’re concerned about your heart health.