Heart disease may seem like something you only need to worry about down the road, but it can happen at any age. High blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol and obesity are putting people ages 35–64 at risk. The good news is that there is plenty you can do in your 40s and 50s to reduce heart disease risk.
Here are some tips:
1. Stay active
Walking for 30 minutes, 5 days a week and weight training twice a week can significantly improve your heart health, according to the American Heart Association.4 Remember to check with your doctor before starting any exercise regimen.
2. Eat a balanced diet
A Mediterranean-style diet — one that’s rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, oily fish like salmon and sardines, and healthy fats such as olive oil — has been shown to consistently reduce the risk of heart disease.
3. Get enough rest
A 2022 study by the American Heart Association found that people who slept between 7 and 9 hours a night were least likely to develop cardiovascular disease.1 “Sleep difficulties are associated with weight gain, higher blood pressure and an irregular heartbeat,” explains Nieca Goldberg, M.D., medical director of Atria Health in New York City and a clinical associate professor of medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.
If you have trouble nodding off, try these basic sleep hygiene tips:
- Go to bed and wake up at consistent times
- Limit caffeine after noon if you’re sensitive to its effects
- Get regular exercise
- Avoid screen time an hour or 2 before bed
4. Manage stress
Chronic stress can raise the risk of heart disease. Elevated levels of stress hormones such as cortisol can raise blood pressure and possibly even cholesterol. Those effects can be worse if you already have underlying heart disease. Research suggests that mindfulness may lower blood pressure.2 One good option is to try a mindfulness app.
5. Find help to quit smoking
The Empire Plan Prescription Drug Program covers smoking cessation treatments with a prescription from your doctor.3 These treatments act on chemicals in the brain that are related to nicotine craving. You may be able to start taking one of the available treatments 1 or 2 weeks before attempting to quit smoking. Within 1 year of quitting, the risk of heart disease goes down by half.4
6. Know your heart-disease and stroke risk
Knowing your risk level is key to protecting your heart and staying healthy. Doctors can look at many known risk factors to estimate your odds of a future heart event.
“Much of the time, risk factors can be improved with lifestyle changes, but sometimes cholesterol or blood pressure medications are needed,” says Dr. Goldberg. Once you know your risk, you can work with your doctor to figure out the best treatment plan for you.
For help finding an in-network cardiologist or to learn more about heart health programs, call The Empire Plan NurseLine at 1-877-769-7447, option 5. This 24/7 service is confidential and available at no additional cost as part of your benefits.
Sources:
- Study of Sleep in Older Adults Suggests Nixing Naps, Striving for 7–9 Hours a Night. American Heart Association, 2022.
- Medication and Mindfulness: What You Need to Know. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, 2022.
- Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) guidelines, there is a 168-day/per year limit on the zero-copayment benefit for smoking cessation products.
- How to Quit Tobacco. American Heart Association, 2022.