A Love Letter For Heart Health

The heart is an incredible muscle that beats 2.5 billion times in a lifetime, pumping oxygen, fuel, hormones, and nutrients to every cell while removing waste. If it stops, essential functions fail almost instantly.

Love Your Heart

While the heart is resilient, unhealthy habits like poor diet, inactivity, and smoking contribute to high cholesterol and blood pressure, leading to plaque buildup in arteries. If an artery to the heart is blocked, it can cause a heart attack; if it affects the brain, it can lead to a stroke. Both conditions can result in severe complications, including heart failure, cognitive impairment, paralysis, or death.

Fortunately, there are simple steps to improve and keep your heart healthy. The American Heart Association outlines eight key habits to strengthen your heart.

8 Key Heart Health Habits

1. Know Your Risk

Smoking, kidney disease, or a family history of heart disease increases your risk. Work with a healthcare professional to maintain healthy cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels. Eat a nutrient-rich diet with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats while limiting saturated and trans fats, added sugars, and sodium.

2. Maintain Healthy Cholesterol and Blood Pressure

HDL ("good" cholesterol) should be above 60 mg/dL, while LDL ("bad" cholesterol) should be under 70 mg/dL. Keep triglycerides below 150 mg/dL to prevent artery-clogging plaque. High blood pressure (above 120/80 mm Hg) is a major stroke risk. Reduce salt intake, stay active, and follow prescribed treatments.

3. Be Physically Active

Aim for 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise weekly, plus strength training twice a week. Exercise improves cardiovascular fitness, strengthens muscles and bones, supports balance and mobility and helps keep your heart healthy.

4. Maintain a Healthy Weight

Excess weight increases heart disease risk. Use a BMI chart to determine your healthy range and make small, sustainable changes to your diet and activity levels.

5. Manage Diabetes

High blood sugar can damage blood vessels and increase heart disease risk. Work with your doctor to control blood sugar through diet, exercise, and medication if needed.

6. Get Enough Sleep

Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night. Establish a bedtime routine, stay active, and keep electronics out of the bedroom.

7. Reduce Stress

Chronic stress releases hormones that can damage the heart. Manage stress through deep breathing, exercise, yoga, and adequate sleep. Avoid unhealthy coping habits like overeating or excessive alcohol consumption.

8. Limit Alcohol Intake

Excess alcohol raises triglycerides and blood pressure, increasing heart disease risk. Limit intake to one drink per day for women and two for men. Health benefits attributed to red wine can also be found in grapes and berries. Eat those instead to keep your heart healthy!

By adopting these habits, you can significantly lower your risk of heart disease and lead a longer, healthier life. Consult your healthcare provider to tailor a heart-healthy plan to your needs.