Heart disease is the top cause of death for American men and women. Some of the factors that influence your heart health are outside your control, such as genetics and age, but others, like diet and lifestyle, you can manage. “By making conscious small changes that are sustainable, heart health can be improved over the course of months to years,” says Dr. Nicholas Ruthmann, MD, MPH, a cardiologist at Cleveland Clinic. “An ounce of prevention is truly worth a pound of cure.” Lifestyle changes should be viewed as preventative measures to decrease your risk for cardiovascular disease, adds Dr. Carl Cameron, MD, chief medical officer at MVP Health Care. “Improving your heart health does not happen overnight but taking steps immediately can help improve health outcomes,” he says. “Unfortunately, heart disease cannot be reversed once it has been diagnosed.” So, how can you improve your heart health? Here are several ways to get started, according to experts.
How to improve heart health
Quit smoking
Smoking can cause permanent damage to your heart and blood vessels, which increases your risk for cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke. Quitting can improve your heart health both immediately and long term. “Smoking a pack a day doubles the risk of having a heart attack compared to a nonsmoker,” Ruthmann says. “Going one day without smoking a single cigarette already lowers your risk. Oxygen levels in the bloodstream increase within just eight hours after quitting smoking. Lung function can improve up to 30% in just a few weeks after smoking cessation.” Soon after quitting smoking, your heart rate and blood pressure will become more controlled, and you’ll see better circulation in your hands and feet, he adds.
Embrace a healthy diet
Changing your diet to be more heart-healthy can have lasting effects. That especially means avoiding crash or fad diets, Ruthmann says, “focus instead on incorporating one new healthy behavior and sticking with it.” Research shows that 80% to 95% of people who lose weight via a crash diet gain it back. Instead, eat lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, unsaturated fats and health protein, like nuts, legumes, fish, low-fat dairy, and lean poultry, according to the American Heart Association. Also, minimize your salt, sugar, and alcohol intake. Making small dietary changes to create long-term lifestyle heart-healthy habits is the best approach. “This, over time, will create a routine,” Ruthmann says. “Don’t fight hunger. If you’re hungry, eat. But be mindful of why you’re eating. Often we eat for emotional reasons: sad, bored, nervous. None of these are helpful for the heart and your overall health. It’s a conditioned response in many cases and being more mindful of the reason to eat can help recondition our brains to not turn to food as often.” Get more exercise “Movement is the most important thing for heart health,” Cameron says. “Try to move your body by doing aerobic exercise at least 30 minutes a day. Not only will that improve your heart, but it will also benefit overall wellness.” But if you’re not used to exercising, talk to your doctor about what may be the safest way for you to begin, says Dr. Linda Anegawa, MD, adouble board-certified physician in internal medicine and obesity medicine and medical director at PlushCare. “If you are not in the habit of moving regularly, even starting with five to ten minutes of gentle exercise such as walking, yoga, or using a stationary bike, is excellent,” she says. “Set a reminder on your calendar to make sure you do it, and better yet, enlist a friend, family member, or coworker to join you for accountability.”
Sleep more
More than 30% of adults get less than seven hours of sleep a night—and, that can affect your heart. Sleep deprivation is linked to weight gain, which puts stress on the heart and blood vessels, Ruthmann says. “I recommend getting about seven hours of sleep each night,” he says. “Set an alarm each evening as a reminder that it’s time to wind down and head to bed. We set an alarm to get up each morning. An evening alarm to remind us that it’s time to sleep is just as valuable for our heart health.”
Control your blood pressure
High blood pressure can damage your arteries, making it harder for blood and oxygen to flow to your heart. This can cause heart disease. Anegawa says controlling your blood pressure will keep your heart healthy. Exercising for about 30 minutes a day five days a week, not smoking, eating a heart-healthy diet, keeping stress levels low and maintaining a healthy weight will keep your blood pressure and blood sugar in check. You might need to talk to your doctor about high blood pressure and take medication.
Reduce your stress levels
Hectic schedules, family obligations, and work pressures can add stress to your daily life. Learning to reduce stress will do wonders for your heart health. “While we can’t eliminate stress in our lives, we can change how we respond to it,” Anegawa says. “A trained therapist can help, or even utilizing a free app to monitor your stress and learning some quick stress-reduction techniques can be truly helpful.” Taking steps to eat better, exercise more and keep your stress levels low will promote heart health long term. “By making these changes and sticking to them for a significant period of time, it is possible to see changes in your blood pressure and heart health,” Cameron says. Next, read more about how to prevent heart disease.
Sources:
Dr. Nicholas Ruthmann, MD, MPH, cardiologist, Cleveland ClinicDr. Carl Cameron, MD, chief medical officer, MVP Health CareDr. Linda Anegawa, MD, adouble board-certified physician in internal medicine and obesity medicine and medical director at PlushCareCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Heart Disease Facts CDC: Short Sleep Duration Among U.S. Adults U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA): How Smoking Affects Heart Health Cleveland Clinic: Why People Diet, Lose Weight and Gain It All BackAmerican Heart Association: American Heart Association Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations
