How to reduce your risk of heart disease

Heart and blood vessel disease is caused by a build-up of cholesterol plaque in artery walls. The plaque narrows the arteries and reduces blood flow, which can lead to numerous issues like heart attack or stroke.

While heart disease is the leading cause of death for both women and men in the United States, there is good news: by making lifestyle changes you can reduce your risk of developing heart disease. If you already have heart disease, these same steps can reduce your risk of a future heart attack, stroke, or other serious complication.

“There are heart disease risk factors that you can control, like diet and exercise, and others that you can’t control, like family history and age,” said Jeremy Van't Hof, MD, director of cardiac rehabilitation at M Health Fairview University of Minnesota Medical Center and assistant professor in the Cardiovascular Division at University of Minnesota Medical School. “That’s why it’s so important to take steps to reduce your risk of heart disease in the areas that you can control.”

Van’t Hof shared these tips for reducing your risk for heart disease:

Quit tobacco use

Smoking is the top preventable health risk for both women and men. It increases your risk of having a heart attack, stroke, or other heart issue. In the first year after quitting, your risk of heart disease is cut in half. Talk with your doctor about creating a safe plan to help you quit by setting doable goals. It’s never too late to quit.

Manage high blood pressure

Ask your doctor about your optimal blood pressure range. You can make changes to help you achieve that goal such as eating a diet low in salt and processed foods, exercising, finding ways to reduce stress, maintaining a healthy weight, sleeping well, limiting alcohol use, and taking blood pressure medications as prescribed.

Maintain a healthy weight

Eating a healthy diet and staying active can help you achieve or maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight or obese can lead to higher blood pressure, higher cholesterol, and diabetes — all risk factors for heart disease. Keeping track of what you eat may help identify unhealthy habits. Body mass index (BMI) can be a useful tool to identify a target weight; most people have an optimal BMI around 25, said Van’t Hof.

Get active

Physical activity is important for overall health (think walking, swimming, biking, or cross-country skiing in the winter). Set a goal of 150 minutes of exercise each week and break it up into 15- to 30-minute increments every day to help form a healthy habit. Add muscle strengthening exercises one or two times per week. Start slow and work up to your goal. Van’t Hof recommends checking with your care team before starting a new exercise program.

Keep a heart-healthy diet

What you eat is important to your overall health. Enjoy whole foods like fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, plant-based proteins, and lean animal proteins such as fish and skinless chicken. Limit sugars, alcohol, saturated fats, and red meats. Work to cut out highly processed foods and sugary beverages.

Get healthy sleep

People need different amounts of sleep, but too much or too little may increase risk for heart disease, Van’t Hof said. Meet your sleep requirements and improve quality of sleep by going to bed at a consistent time, developing a calming bedtime routine, and limiting or eliminating screen exposure before bed.

“Even small lifestyle changes can have a big impact on your heart health,” said Van’t Hof.