Heart Health: More than Cardio

In the past, we tended to think of heart health as something you "get serious about," later in life - around the time when the kids are older, life has slowed down and we feel more rested. But, these days, we know that our hearts are already putting in the hard work day after day in the here and now; especially when we're trying to give everyone the best versions of ourselves while running on too many cups of coffee.

Now, thinking about heart health isn't about constantly feeling scared or restricted - its about creating conditions where your body feels supported instead of constantly bracing for something to go wrong. While science has made significant progress over the generations, evidenced by a 66% reduction in heart disease mortality rates from 1970 to 2022, risk factors such as obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes are emerging at younger ages. Nearly half of adults aged 20-44 have at least one major cardiovascular risk factor.

Several lifestyle factors common among most of America's adult population, no matter their age can contribute to cardiovascular risks:

• Prolonged sitting and screen time

• High-stress jobs and poor work-life balance

• Processed food-heavy diets

• Vaping and tobacco use

• Inconsistent sleep patterns

• Delayed medical check-ups

• Loneliness or emotional overload

Life’s Essential 8 are the key measures for improving and maintaining cardiovascular health, as defined by the American Heart Association. Better cardiovascular health helps lower the risk for heart disease, stroke and other major health problems.

1. Eat Better - Aim for an overall healthy eating pattern that includes whole foods, lots of fruits and vegetables, lean protein, nuts, seeds, and cooking in non-tropical oils such as olive and canola.

2. Be More Active - Adults should get 2.5 hours of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity per week. Kids should have 60 minutes every day, including play and structured activities.

3. Quit Tobacco - Use of inhaled nicotine delivery products, particularly cigarettes, are the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. While e-cigarettes and vaping are newer and their long-term impacts are still being studied, traditional cigarette smoking remains the primary driver of preventable mortality. Roughly 40% of U.S. children ages 3-11 are exposed to secondhand smoke.

   
   

4. Aim for Healthier Sleep - Most adults need 7 - 9 hours of sleep each night. Children require more: 10 -16 hours for ages 5 and younger, including naps; 9 -12 hours for ages 6 - 12; and 8 -10 hours for ages 13 - 18. Adequate sleep promotes healing, improves brain function and reduces the risk for chronic diseases.

5. Manage Weight - Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight has many benefits. Body mass index, a numerical value of your weight in relation to your height, is a useful gauge. Optimal BMI is less than 25, but less than 18.5 is considered underweight. You can calculate it online or consult a health care professional.

6. Control Cholesterol - High levels of non-HDL, or “bad,” cholesterol can lead to heart disease. Your health care professional can consider non-HDL cholesterol as the preferred number to monitor, rather than total cholesterol, because it can be measured without fasting beforehand and is reliably calculated among all people.

7. Manage Blood Sugar - Most of the food we eat is turned into glucose (or blood sugar) that our bodies use as energy. Over time, high levels of blood sugar can damage your heart, kidneys, eyes and nerves. As part of testing, monitoring hemoglobin A1c can better reflect long-term control in people with diabetes or prediabetes.

8. Manage Blood Pressure - Keeping your blood pressure within acceptable ranges can keep you healthier longer. Levels less than 120/80 mm Hg are optimal.

Along with the more clinical preventative measures, the NIH has concluded that positive social connections and emotional health can help your heart to function at its best - this means that we can add a 9th essential factor to help us on our heart healthy journey:

9. Stay Connected - Strong, supportive relationships "... is an important moderator of cardiovascular reactivity during stress." Research has also identified a range of activities that qualify as social support, from offers of help or advice to expressions of affection. So, making sure that we make time to spend with those who fill our cups and make us feel happier, lighter, and more at ease is something that we definitely shouldn't leave off our to-do list.

   
   

So, the next time medical staff hand you a lab slip for your yearly bloodwork, remember too: a text exchange, a phone call during a long car ride, or even swapping voice memos during quick, calm moments can remind us that we're not alone, and that our hearts are safe with those who value our relationships.

Sources: OUHealth.com, Heart.org, NIH.org, Harvard.edu