8 Ways to Help Improve Your Heart Health, According to Cardiologists

Keeping your heart healthy is critical for living a long and active life, and while some of the steps you can take are obvious—like being active—others might surprise you. Making the right adjustments to your lifestyle and routine habits will help improve your heart health. We talked to two cardiologists to get their best advice.

Stop Smoking

Pack-a-day smokers have double the risk of a heart attack compared to nonsmokers, and the changes to your body start almost immediately after you quit, says Nicholas Ruthmann, MD, a cardiologist with the Cleveland Clinic. Eight hours after your last cigarette, your blood oxygen levels are already increasing, and within a few weeks, lung function improves by as much as 30 percent.

Smoking boosts the body's inflammation, plaque buildup in the heart's blood vessels, and thickens the blood. "[This] can lead to clots inside veins and arteries," says Dr. Ruthmann. "These clots can lead to heart attacks and stroke. If you're a smoker, the single most important thing you can do for your heart and body is to quit."

Mark a stop date on your calendar, and tell your friends, family, and doctor to help keep you accountable to it, recommends Dr. Ruthmann. Even though it's easier said than done, he says "quitting smoking is the best thing a smoker could do to improve not only their heart health, but overall health, as well."

Limit Your Alcohol Intake

To increase your heart health, consider decreasing the amount of alcohol you drink, suggests Fahmi Farah, MD, the owner of Bentley Heart Center in Fort Worth, Texas, a heart surgeon at Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center, and the co-founder of the Global Health Alliance Foundation. "Most people don't realize that there's a direct link with alcohol consumption and increased risk of heart disease, such as heart failure," she says.

Consuming alcohol leads to increased risk of heart attack and arrhythmia (when the heart beats erratically or out of sync), according to a global study published in 2018. This is because drinking alcohol weakens the heart muscle, and in turn, it doesn't allow the heart to pump as well. While Dr. Farah notes that any amount of alcohol is "not good" for you, she does want people to be realistic. "I'm not saying that people can't enjoy their life every once in a while," she says. "Moderation is key."

Lower Your Cholesterol

Often a result of unhealthy diet choices and too-little exercise, higher levels of LDL cholesterol are commonly connected to heart disease and heart attacks. "Cholesterol directly leads to an increase in plaque formation in the coronary arteries that directly supply blood to the heart, which, if significantly blocked, can lead to symptoms including chest pain and heart muscle death," says Dr. Ruthmann. "By being mindful about what we eat and being active most days a week, we can minimize risk of developing a heart attack."

Stay Active

Experts recommend 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week, which isn't just about building strong quads and biceps. "The heart is a muscle like any other muscle—if you don't work it, it will get weak," says Dr. Ruthmann. "Exercise also helps to control your weight, as obesity is another big risk factor for a heart attack. Thirty minutes of moderate intensity activity increases the body's metabolism for many hours afterwards, which helps to continue to burn calories and more fat."

Try to break a sweat most days, and try to find ways to do activities you really enjoy, which can include walking with a friend or loved one, says Dr. Ruthmann. One of the best forms of exercise for the heart is walking, adds Dr. Farah. Heart rate naturally goes up when walking, which builds endurance and increases oxygenation as you breathe in fresh air.

This regular practice is also good for the entire cardiovascular system, not just the heart. "For instance, our vascular system runs all over our body, and just like we can get blockages in our heart, we can also get blockages in our legs," she says. "One of the ways of preventing that is actually walking because you're circulating blood better as you're walking."

Along with getting moving for your heart, you will be able to increase your mental wellness, especially depending on where you take your strolls. "Walking in nature is even better because you get stress management with that," adds Dr. Farah. "We do have some studies, actually, that show that walking in nature is better for your heart health and your overall health because you get that mental relief, as well."

Find Balance in Your Eating Habits

A heart-healthy diet—Dr. Ruthmann recommends the Mediterranean diet—will be low in fat and sugar, high in vegetables and fruit, and anchored by lean proteins instead of processed meats. If your eating habits need a makeover, Dr. Ruthmann suggests focusing on adding before subtracting. "Instead of restricting food intake, focus instead on what to put in—add one fruit or a vegetable to each meal," he says. "This focuses your mindset about healthy eating. Studies show that 80 to 95 percent of people who try a crash diet gain the weight back."

And don't ignore hunger signals, either—just pay attention to what your body is really trying to tell you. "Often we eat for emotional reasons: We get sad, bored, or feel nervous," says Dr. Ruthmann. "None of these are helpful for the heart and your overall health. It's a conditioned response in many cases, and being more mindful of the reason to eat can help recondition our brains to not turn to food as often."

Don't Skimp on Tooth-Brushing

Remember: Brushing your teeth is important for your heart health, not just for your dental hygiene. "My mom used to tell me when I was a kid to 'Only brush the teeth I want to keep,'" says Dr. Ruthmann. "If she only knew how important oral health is to heart health! Studies have shown that gum disease is connected to heart disease, so take care of those pearly whites."

Get Social

Social connections may seem less obviously related to heart health than diet and exercise, but they're still key, says Dr. Ruthmann. "Research has found that social isolation and loneliness can impact a person's risk of coronary heart disease and stroke—if you and your social circle are focused on a healthy lifestyle, you're much more likely to stick with it," he says. "Connect with others, even if virtually."

Get Enough Sleep

The American Heart Association added sleep to its most recent health checklist, and Dr. Farah says that it's "imperative for cardiac health" to get eight hours so your body can reset and recover. "You're allowing your body to rest and heal, and there's a direct link with inflammation and plaque formation and lack of sleep," says Dr. Farah. Sleep calms down the episodic inflammation process to minimize heart disease risk factors, she adds.