Statistically speaking, you’re more likely to die of a heart attack or a stroke than from any other cause.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading killer of men and women — not just in the United States, but across the globe. Roughly 1 in 3 people who die around the world every year are killed by heart disease — including nearly 700,000 people in the United States.
But you can boost your lifespan and dramatically lower your odds of developing heart disease by following a simple formula. All you have to do is optimize eight health metrics and behaviors. The American Heart Association calls these things “Life’s Essential 8” because they’re the basis for a lifetime of good health.
Researchers have found that focusing on these behaviors and metrics will accomplish several things. It will help prevent you from having a heart attack or stroke. If you already have a heart condition, it will improve your odds of surviving. And lastly, it’ll protect and strengthen your overall health, which can add years to your life.
“People who maintain all these things at optimal levels really win the game,” said Donald Lloyd-Jones, a former president of the American Heart Association and a cardiologist at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. “When you look at the totality of the science, they don’t get heart attacks and strokes — but they also don’t get dementia, they don’t get diabetes, they have less arthritis. They see so many health benefits.”
Data from decades of research suggests that people who adopt these eight behaviors and metrics live longer, said Clyde Yancy, chief of cardiology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a former president of the American Heart Association. “The benefit in longevity is not only due to freedom from cardiovascular events but also protection from a number of cancers and other health conditions.”
Here are the eight things you can do to safeguard your heart health and boost your odds of living a longer life.
1. Get 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night
A good night of sleep protects your heart in many ways. It reduces inflammation, lowers your blood pressure and suppresses the release of cortisol and other stress hormones. Getting proper sleep is also associated with better cognitive health and a lower risk of depression, said Yancy.
Large observational studies have found that people who routinely sleep less than seven hours a night have a 48 percent higher risk of developing heart disease and dying of it compared with people who routinely sleep at least seven hours a night or more.
Getting proper sleep often comes down to simple habits. Have a regular schedule, make a habit of going to sleep around the same time each night and don’t spend too much time looking at screens before bed. Blue light from screens inhibits the release of melatonin, the sleep hormone. You should also limit your alcohol consumption before bed. “Having a nightcap will disrupt your sleep,” said Yancy.
2. Be physically active
Exercising regularly can lead to remarkable health benefits. It builds and strengthens muscles, lowers your body fat and improves your blood sugar control, which can prevent Type 2 diabetes. It also boosts your vascular health by relaxing and widening blood vessels.
Studies have found an inverse correlation between physical activity and cardiovascular disease: The more you exercise, the lower your risk of experiencing a heart attack, stroke, heart failure, atrial fibrillation or peripheral artery disease.
Aim for 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity each week — such as walking, gardening or light jogging — or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise, like running, swimming, jumping rope or playing tennis. You could also do a combination of the two.
To increase the amount of exercise you’re doing, try setting realistic goals. If you rarely exercise, start slowly and gradually work your way up to the recommended amounts. Focus on doing activities that you enjoy. Track your daily steps and exercise to monitor your progress. And consider incorporating two-minute exercise “snacks” into your day — like occasionally running up and down a set of stairs or getting up from your chair and doing a set of jumping jacks a few times a day. These quick bursts of activity can help you reap the benefits of exercise without going to the gym.
3. Eat a healthy diet
It doesn’t have to be complicated. The core of your diet should be fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, lentils, seafood and lean meats. “You can permutate that in so many different ways,” said Yancy. “But you should just think about having a lot of colors on your plate and staying away from highly processed foods.”
This approach to eating can do wonders for your heart. A large, randomized trial that included 7,447 people at high risk of cardiovascular disease found that those who were assigned to follow a Mediterranean diet — with plenty of fruits and vegetables, plants, lean meats, seafood, nuts and olive oil — had 30 percent fewer heart attacks and strokes than people assigned to follow a traditional low-fat diet.
To learn more about how to eat a heart-healthy diet, read what a top cardiologist eats in a day.
4. Manage your blood sugar and cholesterol levels
Do you know your numbers? If not, ask a health care provider to test your blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
Have them check your non-HDL cholesterol, which for a healthy adult should be less than 130 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). They should also measure your hemoglobin A1C, or HbA1c, which tells you your average fasting blood sugar levels over the past two to three months. Your HbA1c should be less than 5.7 percent.
Studies have found that non-HDL cholesterol is a strong predictor of cardiovascular disease. An elevated A1C can indicate Type 2 diabetes, which sharply increases the risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
If your numbers are elevated, eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly can help bring them down. If that doesn’t work, talk to your doctor or health care provider about starting medication.
5. Manage your blood pressure
High blood pressure is a silent killer. It can wreak havoc on your heart and blood vessels without causing any symptoms until the damage is severe.
Your blood pressure and heart disease risk are directly correlated. One study published in JAMA Cardiology followed 1,457 adults for more than 14 years. It found that cardiovascular risk rose in a stepwise fashion for every 10 mm Hg increase in systolic blood pressure (the top number in your reading).
An optimal blood pressure is below 120/80. If yours is consistently higher than this, there are multiple things you can do to lower it, like exercising regularly, eating less sodium, losing weight and managing your stress levels. You can also talk to your health care provider about whether it makes sense to use medication.
6. Maintain a healthy BMI
Do you know your body mass index? It’s a rough estimate of your total body fat, which can indicate whether you’re overweight, underweight or obese.
To be sure, BMI is a blunt tool that doesn’t tell you everything about your health. It can’t distinguish between muscle, fat and bone mass, for example, so it does have flaws. But many studies have found that having a high BMI is associated with an increased likelihood of dying of heart disease. So, it’s worth knowing yours and discussing it with your health care provider if it’s high.
Ideally, your BMI should be under 25. You can find your BMI by entering your height and weight into this calculator.
7. Don’t smoke
People who smoke are two to four times more likely to develop heart disease compared with people who don’t smoke. Vaping also increases your risk of having a heart attack. But quitting can lead to immediate benefits. “Once you stop smoking, the risk for all sorts of diseases drops quickly and dramatically,” said Lloyd-Jones.
If you smoke, try implementing some lifestyle changes to help you quit, like avoiding alcohol, starting an exercise routine and drawing support from friends. You could also consider using nicotine patches, gum, lozenges or medication.
8. Find your score
If you want to know how you’re doing on these behaviors and metrics, you can go to the heart association website and answer a short series of questions. You’ll get a score ranging from zero to 100, along with things you can do to improve your score if you need to.
“It’s something you can measure and quantify,” said Lloyd-Jones. “What’s powerful about this is we defined it as cardiovascular health but it’s really whole health. Everything from the tip of your hair to the tip of your toenails is better if you have a higher cardiovascular health score.”
Do you have a question about healthy eating? Email [email protected] and we may answer your question in a future column.
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