How Can We Prevent Heart Disease?

The best ways to prevent heart disease are largely unique to you, based on your health history and risk factors. A cardiologist or primary care provider can tailor a plan to your needs.

Can’t sit down with a doctor right now? No worries. We got the conversation started with cardiologist Ashish Sarraju, MD. Dr. Sarraju shares the advice he gives to his patients and explains why every small step you take now matters in the long run.

Is heart disease preventable?

“Yes, we can prevent heart disease,” says Dr. Sarraju. “Typically, when we talk about heart disease, we mean coronary artery blockages that can lead to a heart attack. But it’s vital to think about other forms of heart disease, too, like arrhythmias and heart failure.”

So, what does prevention mean? “I think of it as an intervention,” he explains. “You’re stepping in and taking measures to delay something bad, like a heart attack, that would otherwise happen sooner. You’re improving your quantity and quality of life.”

You might hear about “primary prevention” or “secondary prevention.” Primary means you’ve never had a heart event, like a heart attack, before. Secondary means you’ve had a heart event and want to prevent recurrences.

8 ways to prevent heart disease

There’s a lot you can do to help prevent heart disease, from changing habits to monitoring conditions that raise your risk. Dr. Sarraju boils it all down to eight key strategies.

Eat heart-healthy foods

Eating foods with known benefits for your heart and blood vessels can help you prevent heart disease. It’s also important to limit or eliminate foods that aren’t heart-friendly.

“Follow an evidence-based, heart-healthy diet, like the Mediterranean diet or DASH diet,” Dr. Sarraju advises. These plans are flexible and adaptable to your lifestyle. A dietitian can help you gradually build changes into your routine.

In general, you want to:

• Choose foods rich in healthy, unsaturated fats.
• Replace red meat with lean chicken, fish or plant-based proteins, like tofu.
• Load up on whole grains, veggies and fruit.
• Limit salt and sugar.
• Avoid ultra-processed foods.

Move around more

“Exercise is one of the most — if not the most — powerful interventions you can make to improve your heart health,” Dr. Sarraju says. “Even just a little bit of exercise goes a long way.”

Exercise prevents heart disease because it can help you:

• Manage weight
• Improve insulin sensitivity
• Reduce stress levels
• Improve blood sugar, cholesterol and triglyceride levels

All these effects help your heart and blood vessels work at their best. “Quite simply, people who exercise tend to live longer,” he adds.

Aim for 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise, like brisk walking or cycling.

Quit smoking

If you smoke, talk with a provider about ways to quit. “Quitting might not be easy,” Dr. Sarraju recognizes. “But it’s truly one of the best things you can do for your heart.”

Here’s why kicking the habit is so important:

• If you smoke, you’re more than twice as likely to have a heart attack compared with someone who doesn’t.
• Even one to two cigarettes a day increases your risk of a heart attack or stroke.
• Smoking is a major risk factor for sudden cardiac death.

Secondhand smoke also raises your heart disease risk. So, avoiding exposure helps protect your heart.

Limit alcohol

Traditional wisdom used to hold that red wine was good for your heart. Now, we know the links from past studies were fuzzy. The safest bet is to drink as little alcohol, wine, etc., as possible.

“High alcohol intake can raise your risk for heart failure and arrhythmias, like atrial fibrillation,” Dr. Sarraju explains. “We don’t recommend alcohol or say a certain amount is safe anymore. The lower, the better.”

Get enough quality sleep

Routinely getting healthy sleep can help protect your heart. Adults generally need seven to nine hours of quality sleep per night. That means you stay asleep for most of the night and wake up refreshed.

“Focus on sleep hygiene,” Dr. Sarraju emphasizes. “It matters for your whole body, including your heart. Poor sleep is a risk factor for heart disease.”

Your sleep might not be so healthy if you:

• Rarely feel rested, despite sleeping
• Need to nap a lot
• Snore
• Wake often during the night

If any of these scenarios ring a bell, Dr. Sarraju recommends speaking with a provider. “They may suggest testing for sleep apnea, which is underdiagnosed and can take a toll on your heart.”

Manage stress

It can be easier said than done, but managing stress is one of the best things you can do for your heart. That’s because, as Dr. Sarraju notes, “High levels of stress are associated with a higher risk of heart attacks and arrhythmias.”

When you’re under stress, it can be hard to practice healthy habits. You may also be more likely to drink alcohol or smoke. Stress has a “downstream effect” on heart health because it contributes to so many other risk factors.

Your best defense? Finding ways to relieve stress that make sense for you. From nature walks to phone breaks, try different methods and see what sticks.

Go for yearly check-ups

Routine check-ups can help you manage heart disease risk factors before they lead to serious problems.

“Get your blood pressure checked, and get your bloodwork done,” Dr. Sarraju advises. “Many risk factors are silent for years. You need some basic, routine tests to know what’s happening inside your body. Otherwise, your first clue might be a heart attack or stroke.”

Know your numbers — and act on them

Seeing a provider is important. But it’s equally important to be involved in your own care. Know your health stats so you can have meaningful chats with your care team.

“Prevention starts with awareness of your risk factors and how well your current efforts are working,” Dr. Sarraju explains.

Numbers to know include your:

• Blood pressure
• Blood sugar
• Cholesterol levels
• Weight

But awareness isn’t the endpoint. It’s only the start. Once you know your numbers, you can gain a clearer sense of the goals to prioritize.

Heart disease prevention for women

Prevention generally looks the same for everyone, no matter your sex. But women have some unique heart disease risk factors that may come into play.

Tell your provider if you have a history of:

• Preeclampsia
• Gestational diabetes
• Premature menopause

“If you have any of these factors, be aware that they’re linked to cardiovascular health,” Dr. Sarraju says. “And talk with your provider about heart disease prevention. They’ll suggest ways to manage risk in light of your medical history.”

It’s a marathon, not a sprint

Preventing heart disease is a lifelong journey. Don’t exhaust yourself by pushing too hard, too fast at the onset. Even if you feel inspired, you can risk burning out. As Dr. Sarraju says, “It’s a marathon, not a sprint.”

“Start with small changes that feel doable,” he advises. “Identify the lowest hanging fruit. For example, if you’re eating fast food a few times a week, cut that down as a first step.”

Once you achieve one goal, add another. “This allows you to get where you want to be in a sustainable manner, over several weeks to months,” he continues. Before you know it, the changes you’ve made will become hard-wired into your routine.

Ready to make some changes to help your heart? There’s no time like the present! No matter your age or health history, these efforts are worth your time and energy.

“It’s never too early to think about prevention,” Dr. Sarraju reiterates. “That might mean talking to your primary care provider or getting a referral to preventive cardiology. If you have questions about your risk factors, don’t hesitate to ask. It doesn’t matter how old you are.”

And that’s some advice worth taking to heart.