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Request Appointment. Strategies to prevent heart disease. Products and services. Strategies to prevent heart disease You can help prevent heart disease by following a heart-healthy lifestyle.

By Mayo Clinic Staff. Thank you for subscribing! Sorry something went wrong with your subscription Please, try again in a couple of minutes Retry. Show references Know your risk for heart disease. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed May 15, Heart disease facts. Hennekens CH.

Overview of primary prevention of coronary heart disease and stroke. How to prevent heart disease at any age. American Heart Association.

Heart-healthy lifestyle changes. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Smokeless tobacco: Health effects. How smoking affects heart health. Food and Drug Administration. Benefits of quitting. American Lung Association. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.

Department of Health and Human Services. How does sleep affect your heart health? Sleep apnea. Screening, immunization, and prevention child. Mayo Clinic; Screening, immunization, and prevention adult. Sleep and chronic disease.

Hypertension adult. Lopez-Jimenez F expert opinion. June 19, Stress and heart health. Accessed June 20, Blood cholesterol: Diagnosis. June 20, Wilder RS, et al. Overview of gingivitis and periodontitis in adults. What vaccines are recommended for you? Products and Services Blood Pressure Monitors at Mayo Clinic Store A Book: Live Younger Longer A Book: Future Care.

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Nuclear stress test Numbness Nuts and your heart: Eating nuts for heart health Omega-3 in fish Omega-6 fatty acids Organ transplant in highly sensitized patients Pacemaker Pericardial effusion Polypill: Does it treat heart disease?

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC , one in every four deaths in the United States is due to heart disease. It continues to be the leading cause of death for both men and women.

That's more than , people each year. Take time to consider the following information and tips to ensure you're making efforts to keep your heart as healthy as can be. While neglecting the prevention tips poses major risk factors, family history — although uncontrollable — can be problematic.

This makes staying on top of heart health increasingly important. A family history of heart disease puts you at an elevated risk, and you're even more susceptible if a male family member developed heart disease before age 55 or a female family member developed heart disease before age Heart disease can result in significant complications and death.

Complications include heart failure , heart attack , stroke , aneurysm , peripheral artery disease and sudden cardiac arrest. Use this information to put your heart at the forefront of your wellness improvement plan.

If you have questions or concerns, contact your primary care provider. Niti R. Aggarwal, M. Skip to main content. Posted By. Niti Aggarwal, M. Cardiology Heart. Recent Posts. Speaking of Health. Topics in this Post. Prevention Start making basic lifestyle changes to reduce your risk of heart disease and subsequent issues.

These strategies benefit other areas of your life as well, so you're doing your entire body a favor by focusing on heart health: Avoid tobacco. If you currently smoke, chew tobacco, vape, or use other tobacco products, quit right away — your health care team can help.

If you don't smoke now, keep it that way.

The more a person sticks to this dietary pattern, the lower their risk for developing heart disease. A review of previous research found that the DASH diet has links to a lower chance of developing cardiovascular disease and improved blood pressure, as well as other heart health benefits.

Physical activity plays an important supporting role in heart health. It can also help a person maintain a healthy weight, especially in combination with a diet.

A study in Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine found that moderate and vigorous intensity exercise improves cardiovascular function in people who have had heart failure. Cardio, or aerobic exercise, is any physical movement intense enough to raise the heart rate and cause sweating.

A person should aim to get at least minutes of aerobic exercise per week, if possible. A person can mix moderate-intensity and vigorous-intensity physical activity. Doing this can allow people to spend less time exercising because 1 minute of vigorous-intensity activity is equivalent to 2 minutes of moderate-intensity activity.

A systematic review in Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine concluded that resistance training combined with aerobic training is more beneficial for people with coronary heart disease than aerobic training alone. The CDC also recommend doing strength training on top of aerobic exercise.

A person should aim to do strengthening activities at least 2 days per week. They can train using their own body weight , such as by doing pushups, or using resistance machines or free weights in the gym. A person should aim to work all the major muscle groups, including the:.

A study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research suggests that stretching could be a useful therapy for improving the regulatory effect of the nervous system on the heart. Additionally, without flexibility, the body may struggle to do some aerobic or strength exercises.

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends stretching to the point of feeling slight tightness or discomfort at least two or three times a week, or daily for best results.

Besides nutrition and exercise, a number of lifestyle changes can also help to improve heart health. The AHA recommends:. A person should also make sleep a priority because it supports overall health and wellbeing, including heart health. Some people take supplements to try to improve their heart health.

However, research supporting the use of many popular heart health supplements is mixed. In some cases, there is no strong evidence they work. The authors of a review looked at data from a mixture of human and animal studies to assess the benefits of this nutrient and found some evidence that Co-Q10 may reduce disease and death in people with heart and metabolic conditions.

However, the authors pointed out controversies in the available data and urged future researchers to carry out randomized trials that assess the impact on survival. Low vitamin D levels have links with some of the risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as high blood pressure and inflammation.

For people with a vitamin D deficiency, taking this supplement or getting more from sunlight may be beneficial. A review of 81 studies concluded that vitamin D supplementation may have a protective effect on cardiovascular health.

This may have a negative impact on heart health. But quitting smoking is still critically important. To reap the benefits of quitting smoking and maintaining a moderate weight, try the following tips:.

Tip Use medications to help you quit smoking , such as nicotine patches or varenicline Chantix. These approaches help to keep you from gaining weight while you quit smoking. Tip Get emotional support from a counselor or trusted friend as you are trying to quit and be healthier.

Having psychological support can help you maintain your weight. Tip Exercise regularly to help maintain a healthy body and moderate weight. Several pregnancy-related disorders, such as preeclampsia and gestational high blood pressure , can increase your risk of heart disease later in life, according to a study.

Tip Attend all your recommended prenatal appointments. Your doctor can monitor you for potential complications, such as high blood pressure or diabetes. Treating these with medications can help maintain your heart health.

Staying active will help you maintain a healthy body during pregnancy and relieve some stress. Tip Follow a heart-healthy diet, such as the DASH diet.

A review associated eating this diet during pregnancy with reduced blood pressure. Tip Avoid high fat and sugary foods during pregnancy.

These habits increase your risk of preterm delivery. Tip Stop smoking if you smoke. Smoking is one of the most important modifiable risk factors for pregnant people and heart health. A heart attack can be a wake-up call to engage in more heart-healthy measures.

Some of the ways you can accomplish this include:. Tip Take your medications as your doctor prescribes every day. Talk with your doctor about side effects you can expect and when you should call if you have concerns.

Tip Participate in cardiac rehabilitation. Many hospitals and healthcare facilities will offer cardiac rehabilitation after a heart attack. This is an approach where you can exercise while wearing a monitor.

Tip Make an appointment with your primary health professional to get a checkup. During the checkup, they can screen you for other medical conditions that could affect your heart health, like diabetes. Assessing your overall health and taking steps to get healthier can lower your risk of future heart attacks.

Having a condition that limits your mobility can make traditional exercise approaches more challenging, but not impossible. Some low impact exercise tips include:. This is when you use games or video games that involve movement as a form of exercise.

A game that requires movement using controllers, such as bowling or golfing on the Nintendo Wii, can be a fun and engaging way to exercise with lower mobility. Tip Use a stationary cycling machine for either arms or legs. Even those with lower mobility can often use these exercise machines to enhance heart health.

Researchers are still studying the impacts of COVID on the heart. The AHA says that, just as with the disease itself, some people are more affected than others. Some are experiencing heart tissue inflammation, and doctors are concerned this could lead to heart failure.

Until experts know more, take overall heart-healthy measures, such as eating a healthy diet , exercising , and refraining from smoking , to ideally have a protective effect. Most heart health efforts emphasize your overall wellness. This includes lowering stress, eating a heart-healthy diet, and exercising.

Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

Heart disease is a broad term that covers many heart-related problems and conditions, from an abnormal heartbeat and birth defects to a buildup of…. A nuclear stress test is safe for most elderly people. Minus Related Pages. Share Fact Sheets About Heart Disease Patient Education Handouts.

Choose Healthy Foods and Drinks Choose healthy meals and snacks to help prevent heart disease and its complications. Eating lots of foods high in saturated fat and trans fat may contribute to heart disease.

Eating foods high in fiber and low in saturated fats, trans fat, and cholesterol can help prevent high cholesterol. Limiting salt sodium in your diet can also lower your blood pressure. Limiting sugar in your diet can lower your blood sugar level to prevent or help control diabetes.

Do not drink too much alcohol, which can raise your blood pressure. Men should have no more than 2 drinks per day, and women no more than 1 drink per day. Keep a Healthy Weight People with overweight or obesity have a higher risk for heart disease.

Get Regular Physical Activity Physical activity can help you maintain a healthy weight and lower your blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and blood sugar levels.

Take Charge of Your Medical Conditions If you have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or diabetes, you can take steps to lower your risk for heart disease. Check Your Cholesterol Your health care team should test your blood levels of cholesterol at least once every 4 to 6 years.

Control Your Blood Pressure High blood pressure usually has no symptoms, so have it checked on a regular basis. Manage Your Diabetes If you have diabetes, monitor your blood sugar levels carefully. Work with Your Health Care Team You and your health care team can work together to prevent or treat the medical conditions that lead to heart disease.

Last Reviewed: March 21, Source: National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion , Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. home Heart Disease Home. Other DHDSP Web Sites. Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Stroke High Blood Pressure Cholesterol Million Hearts ® WISEWOMAN Program.

A jump in blood pressure or cholesterol earns you a lecture on healthy lifestyle changes. Heart attack and stroke survivors are often told to alter a lifetime of habits. Some people manage to overhaul their exercise pattern, diet, and unhealthy habits with ease. The rest of us try to make changes, but don't always succeed.

Instead of undertaking a huge makeover, you might be able to improve your heart's health with a series of small changes. Once you get going, you may find that change isn't so hard. This approach may take longer, but it could also motivate you to make some big changes.

Take a minute walk. If you don't exercise at all, a brief walk is a great way to start. If you do, it's a good way to add more exercise to your day. Give yourself a lift. Lifting a hardcover book or a two-pound weight a few times a day can help tone your arm muscles.

When that becomes a breeze, move on to heavier items or join a gym. Eat one extra fruit or vegetable a day. Fruits and vegetables are inexpensive, taste good, and are good for everything from your brain to your bowels. Make breakfast count. Start the day with some fruit and a serving of whole grains, like oatmeal, bran flakes, or whole-wheat toast.

Stop drinking your calories. Cutting out just one sugar-sweetened soda or calorie-laden latte can easily save you or more calories a day. Over a year, that can translate into a pound weight loss. Have a handful of nuts.

Walnuts, almonds, peanuts, and other nuts are good for your heart. Try grabbing some instead of chips or cookies when you need a snack, adding them to salads for a healthful and tasty crunch, or using them in place of meat in pasta and other dishes.

Sample the fruits of the sea. Eat fish or other types of seafood instead of red meat once a week. It's good for the heart, the brain, and the waistline.

Breathe deeply. Try breathing slowly and deeply for a few minutes a day. It can help you relax. Slow, deep breathing may also help lower blood pressure.

Wash your hands often. Scrubbing up with soap and water often during the day is a great way to protect your heart and health. The flu, pneumonia, and other infections can be very hard on the heart. Count your blessings. Taking a moment each day to acknowledge the blessings in your life is one way to start tapping into other positive emotions.

These have been linked with better health, longer life, and greater well-being, just as their opposites — chronic anger, worry, and hostility — contribute to high blood pressure and heart disease. As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content.

Doing this can allow people to spend less time exercising because 1 minute of vigorous-intensity activity is equivalent to 2 minutes of moderate-intensity activity. A systematic review in Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine concluded that resistance training combined with aerobic training is more beneficial for people with coronary heart disease than aerobic training alone.

The CDC also recommend doing strength training on top of aerobic exercise. A person should aim to do strengthening activities at least 2 days per week. They can train using their own body weight , such as by doing pushups, or using resistance machines or free weights in the gym.

A person should aim to work all the major muscle groups, including the:. A study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research suggests that stretching could be a useful therapy for improving the regulatory effect of the nervous system on the heart.

Additionally, without flexibility, the body may struggle to do some aerobic or strength exercises. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends stretching to the point of feeling slight tightness or discomfort at least two or three times a week, or daily for best results.

Besides nutrition and exercise, a number of lifestyle changes can also help to improve heart health. The AHA recommends:. A person should also make sleep a priority because it supports overall health and wellbeing, including heart health. Some people take supplements to try to improve their heart health.

However, research supporting the use of many popular heart health supplements is mixed. In some cases, there is no strong evidence they work. The authors of a review looked at data from a mixture of human and animal studies to assess the benefits of this nutrient and found some evidence that Co-Q10 may reduce disease and death in people with heart and metabolic conditions.

However, the authors pointed out controversies in the available data and urged future researchers to carry out randomized trials that assess the impact on survival.

Low vitamin D levels have links with some of the risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as high blood pressure and inflammation.

For people with a vitamin D deficiency, taking this supplement or getting more from sunlight may be beneficial.

A review of 81 studies concluded that vitamin D supplementation may have a protective effect on cardiovascular health. However, other studies have found different results. For example, in a review , scientists analyzed data from 21 randomized clinical trials involving 83, participants.

They found no link between vitamin D supplementation and a reduction in major adverse cardiovascular events, heart attack, stroke , or death from any cause. More research is necessary to confirm that vitamin D supplementation is beneficial for heart health.

A review investigated whether niacin may benefit heart health. Although niacin has links with lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood, the authors did not find evidence that taking it as a supplement lowered the number of deaths, heart attacks, or strokes.

For example, a person who quits smoking will start to gain benefits from this in as little as 2 weeks. At this point, circulation and lung function begin to improve. Lowering cholesterol can be more variable. For people using diet and lifestyle changes alone, doctors may allow up to 3 months to see if it works.

For people who take statins, cholesterol may reduce significantly after 6—8 weeks. Other changes can be harder to predict or measure. If a person would like to track markers of heart health as they change their diet or lifestyle, they may be able to ask a doctor to assist with this.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U. This includes eating a nutritious and balanced diet that is low in added sugar and salt. Getting regular exercise and making lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking also support heart health. People who want a better understanding of their heart health may consider taking an at-home heart health test.

Learn about three of the best options. Treatment for mitral valve prolapse includes medication to manage symptoms, lifestyle changes, and, surgical intervention to repair or replace the…. A bicuspid aortic valve BAV means the aortic valve has two — not three — cusps.

It is a congenital heart condition, meaning it is present from birth. My podcast changed me Can 'biological race' explain disparities in health?