Heart disease remains the leading cause of death around the world. In 2022, about 19.8 million people died from cardiovascular disease, which was about 32% of all deaths worldwide.

About 85% of these deaths were caused by heart attacks and strokes. The good news is that many of the main risk factors can be prevented, found early, or controlled with healthy habits and medical care.

1. Know and Control Your Heart Health Numbers

Your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar can tell you a lot about your heart health. These numbers may change without causing any symptoms, so regular checks can help you find problems early.

Blood pressure

Blood pressure shows how hard your blood pushes against the walls of your arteries. When it stays too high, it can damage the blood vessels and make the heart work harder. Over time, this can raise your risk of heart attack, stroke, and other heart problems.

High blood pressure usually has no warning signs. The only way to know if it is high is to have it checked. Regular checks give you and your healthcare provider a chance to spot a problem and treat it before it causes serious harm.

Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a fatty substance your body needs, but too much LDL, often called “bad” cholesterol, can build up in artery walls. This can form plaque and make it harder for blood to reach the heart.

A simple blood test can check your cholesterol levels. Eating more fiber-rich foods, choosing healthy fats, and staying active can help improve your cholesterol. Some people, especially those with high levels or other heart disease risks, may also need medicine such as a statin.

Blood sugar

Your body uses blood sugar, or glucose, for energy. When blood sugar stays too high, as it can with diabetes, it can damage blood vessels and the nerves that control the heart. Diabetes also often occurs with high blood pressure and unhealthy cholesterol, which can raise heart disease risk even more.

Blood glucose tests and an HbA1c test can help show how well your blood sugar is being controlled. If you have diabetes, keeping your blood sugar within the range recommended by your healthcare provider can help protect your heart and blood vessels.

Knowing your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar gives you a clearer picture of your heart disease risk. These numbers also help you see where small changes may have the biggest benefit.

2. Eat for Heart Health

What you eat each day can affect your blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, and weight. A heart-healthy diet does not need to be complicated. Build more meals around vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, and healthy sources of protein. Choose unsaturated fats, such as those found in nuts, seeds, fish, and some plant oils, more often.

At the same time, cut back on foods high in saturated and trans fats, such as many fried and highly processed foods. It also helps to eat less processed meat, sugary drinks, and foods with large amounts of added sugar.

Pay attention to sodium, too. Too much sodium can raise blood pressure, which can put more strain on the heart. The World Health Organization recommends that adults consume less than 2,000 mg of sodium per day, or less than 5 grams of salt.

You do not need to change your entire diet overnight. Choosing healthier foods more often can make a real difference over time.

3. Stay Active and Maintain a Healthy Weight

Regular movement helps your heart work better and can improve blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, and fitness. Adults should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate activity each week, such as brisk walking, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, such as running. You can spread this time across the week instead of doing it all at once.

If you have not been active lately, start with short walks and slowly build up. Walking, cycling, swimming, dancing, and many other activities can count. The best activity is one you can keep doing.

Staying active can also help you maintain a healthy weight. Carrying excess body weight can raise the risk of high blood pressure, unhealthy cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes, all of which can affect heart health. You do not need an extreme diet to manage your weight. Regular movement and eating habits that you can follow for years are a better approach.

4. Avoid Smoking and Other Heart-Damaging Habits

Smoking can harm your heart even if you do not smoke heavily. Chemicals in tobacco smoke damage blood vessels, make blood more likely to clot, and can speed up plaque buildup inside the arteries. This raises the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Secondhand smoke can also harm the heart. Being around tobacco smoke regularly can increase cardiovascular risk even if you do not smoke yourself. Vaping and other nicotine products are not harmless either. Nicotine can raise heart rate and blood pressure, while other substances in these products may also affect blood vessels.

Quitting smoking helps at any age. Your heart and blood vessels can begin to benefit after you stop, and the longer you stay smoke-free, the more your risk can fall. If you drink alcohol, avoid heavy drinking because it can raise blood pressure and increase the risk of heart problems. You also should not start drinking alcohol just because you have heard that it may protect the heart. People who do not drink do not need to start.

5. Sleep Well and Manage Stress

Sleep gives your body time to recover, and your heart benefits from it too. Most adults should aim for 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. Poor sleep is linked with high blood pressure, blood sugar problems, unhealthy weight, and a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.

Long-term stress can also make heart-healthy habits harder to maintain. It may affect how well you sleep, what you eat, how active you are, and even your blood pressure. Simple habits such as regular movement, quiet time, deep breathing, or talking with someone you trust can help. If stress feels constant or difficult to manage, speaking with a mental health professional can also be useful.

6. Understand Heart Disease Risk in Women

Heart disease is not only a problem for older men. It is the leading cause of death among women in the United States. In 2023, 304,970 U.S. women died from heart disease, and more than 60 million women were living with some form of heart disease.

Women can develop heart disease at any age, and some risks are specific to women. A history of preeclampsia, high blood pressure during pregnancy, gestational diabetes, or preterm birth can be linked with a higher risk of heart disease later in life. These conditions do not mean that heart disease will happen, but they are important details to share with your healthcare provider.

Heart disease risk also changes as women age. After menopause, the risk of cardiovascular disease increases, so keeping track of blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, and other risk factors becomes especially important. Tell your healthcare provider about your pregnancy history, menopause, and any other health changes so your heart health can be assessed more fully.

7. Get Regular Checkups and Know the Warning Signs

Regular checkups can help find heart disease risks before they cause symptoms. Your healthcare provider can check your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar when needed and review your family history. They can also look at your overall cardiovascular risk and decide whether lifestyle changes, monitoring, or medicine may help. If you take medicine for blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, or another condition, take it as prescribed.

It is also important to know the warning signs of a heart attack. Chest pressure or discomfort is a common sign, but it is not the only one. A heart attack can also cause shortness of breath, pain in the arm, back, neck, jaw, or shoulder, cold sweating, nausea, lightheadedness, or unusual weakness and fatigue.

Women may have symptoms that are less typical, such as shortness of breath, nausea or vomiting, back pain, or jaw pain. Do not wait for symptoms to become severe or assume they are harmless. If you think you may be having a heart attack, seek emergency medical care right away.

Conclusion

Preventing heart disease does not mean following a perfect routine. It means taking care of the risks you can control and staying aware of the ones you cannot. Knowing your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar gives you a starting point. From there, eating well, staying active, avoiding smoking, getting enough sleep, and keeping health conditions under control can all help protect your heart.

For women, it is also important to consider pregnancy history and the changes that come with menopause. These details can help your healthcare provider understand your risk and guide the care you need.