Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. It is important to keep your heart healthy and strong—but how? A cardiologists offers advice on what you should know about heart health. 

Know Your Numbers 

The first step to keeping your heart healthy is knowing your numbers, which include your cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and body mass index (BMI). High cholesterol and high blood pressure are two major risk factors for heart disease. Knowing these numbers can help you determine if you need to make lifestyle changes or take medication to reduce your risk of developing heart disease. It’s important to have regular checkups with your primary care doctor or cardiologist so that you can monitor any changes in your numbers over time. 

Watch Your Diet 

A healthy diet is an important part of maintaining good heart health. Eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins can not only help you maintain a healthy weight but also reduce inflammation in the body. Reducing inflammation in the body helps protect against hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), which increases the risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Additionally, it is important to limit foods that are high in saturated fats, trans fats, salt, and sugar as these can increase cholesterol levels and put strain on the cardiovascular system. 

Be Active Everyday 

Exercise is another key component of staying heart-healthy. Regular physical activity can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels while reducing overall stress on the body. Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise each day; this could be anything from going for a brisk walk around your neighborhood to doing an at-home workout video or dancing around the living room with your kids! Even if you don’t have a lot of time during the day for physical activity, breaking up bouts of exercise into 10-minute chunks throughout the day can still be beneficial for keeping your heart healthy. 

Get Enough Sleep 

Finally, getting enough sleep is essential for maintaining good heart health. Studies have found that people who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease than those who do get adequate amounts of sleep each night (7-9 hours). Make sure that you give yourself enough time to rest each night by limiting exposure to screens before bedtime and avoiding caffeine later in the day so that you can get quality shut eye every night! 

Conclusion: Taking care of our hearts should be top priority because it’s so critical for our overall well-being! Keeping track of our numbers regularly with our doctor or cardiologist will ensure we stay on top of any potential issues early on. Eating nutrient dense foods and exercising regularly will also go a long way towards protecting our hearts now and into old age! Finally, getting enough sleep each night will support our bodies natural healing process while reducing stress levels throughout the day – both necessary components when it comes to maintaining good cardiovascular health!