There's lots you can do to keep your heart healthy, whatever your age. Even if you've already got a heart condition, having a healthy diet can benefit your heart.
Exercising, eating a healthy diet and being aware of dangers such as smoking, drinking, high blood pressure and stress can help. The British Heart Foundation has great information and tips on how to keep your heart healthy.
High blood pressure is blood pressure which is constantly higher than the recommended level, which can greatly increase your risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
It is said to be a silent threat as there are usually no symptoms. The only way of knowing is to have it measured by your GP or nurse.
Cholesterol is a fatty substance found in the blood. It's mainly made in the body, and plays an essential role in how every cell in the body works. However, too much cholesterol in the blood can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease.
A common cause of high blood cholesterol levels is eating too much saturated fat. To help reduce your cholesterol level, you need to cut down on saturated fats and instead use unsaturated fats such as olive, rapeseed or sunflower oils and spreads.
You should also reduce the total amount of fat you eat.
Smoking increases the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, which includes coronary heart disease and stroke.
Stopping smoking is the single best thing you can do for your heart health, and the good news is that the risk to your heart health decreases significantly soon after you stop.
By quitting you’ll be improving your own health by dramatically reducing your risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and a variety of cancers.
Drinking more than the recommended limit can harm the heart. It can cause abnormal heart rhythms, high blood pressure, damage to the heart muscle and other diseases such as stroke, liver problems and some cancers.
Alcohol is also high in calories so it can lead to weight gain. If you're trying to lose weight, cut down on alcohol.
Remember it’s important to keep within the recommended guidelines.
Stress is not a direct risk factor for cardiovascular disease, but it may contribute depending on your coping mechanism. Some people cope with stress with risky behaviour – such as smoking, drinking too much alcohol and overeating. All of these increase your risk of cardiovascular disease.
Changing your lifestyle in a positive way can help you feel better able to cope with some of the demands put on you. A balanced diet and regular physical activity will help you cope with stress.
If you often feel stressed or anxious, it's important to learn how to relax. Some people find that physical activity, yoga or other relaxation techniques can help. You could make a list of things that help you to relax and schedule one every day.
Being active provides long-term benefits for your heart health and general health. It helps:
Your heart is a muscle and needs exercise to help it keep fit so it can pump blood efficiently around your body.
The best type of activity to improve the health of your heart is aerobic activity, such as walking or cycling. When you do aerobic activity your body needs more oxygen so your heart and lungs have to work harder. This makes the heart and circulation more efficient.
If you have a health problem, or have a condition that you're taking prescribed medication for, you should check the amount and type of activity that is suitable with your GP.
A healthy diet can help reduce your risk of developing coronary heart disease and stop you from gaining weight - reducing your risk of diabetes and high blood pressure. It can also help lower your cholesterol levels and reduce your risk of some cancers.
The best way to understand it is to think of foods in food groups. Everyone should aim for a well-balanced diet - plenty of fruit and vegetables, plenty of starchy foods such as bread, rice, potatoes and pasta. Choose wholegrain varieties wherever possible. Some milk and dairy products, some meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein.
Only a small amount of foods and drinks that are high in fats and/or sugar. Choose options that are lower in fat, salt and sugar whenever you can.
Eating too much salt can increase the risk of developing high blood pressure. Having high blood pressure increases the risk of developing coronary heart disease.