Try to be more physically active. Talk with your doctor about the type of activities that would be best for you. If possible, aim to get at least 150 minutes of physical activity each week. Every day is best. It doesn’t have to be done all at once.

Start by doing activities you enjoy—brisk walking, dancing, bowling, bicycling, or gardening, for example. Avoid spending hours every day sitting. For more information on how to exercise safely, check out Go4Life®. This exercise and physical activity campaign from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) has exercises, motivational tips, and free video and print materials. Go4Life is designed to help you fit exercise and physical activity into your daily life.

If you smoke, quit. Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death. Smoking adds to the damage to artery walls. It’s never too late to get some benefit from quitting smoking. Quitting, even in later life, can lower your risk of heart disease, stroke, and cancer over time.

Follow a heart-healthy diet. Choose foods that are low in trans and saturated fats, added sugars, and salt. As we get older, we become more sensitive to salt, which can cause swelling in the legs and feet. Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and foods high in fiber, like those made from whole grains. Get more information on healthy eating from NIA. You also can find information on the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Patterns.

Keep a healthy weight. Balancing the calories you eat and drink with the calories burned by being physically active helps to maintain a healthy weight. Some ways you can maintain a healthy weight include limiting portion size and being physically active. Learn more about how to maintain a healthy weight from NIA. Keep your diabetes, high blood pressure, and/or high cholesterol under control. Follow your doctor’s advice to manage these conditions, and take medications as directed.

CHOLESTEROL

High blood cholesterol levels can lead to plaque buildup in your arteries. Your doctor can check the level of cholesterol in your blood with a blood test. You must be fasting overnight or for 8 hours before this blood test. This will tell you your overall or total cholesterol level as well as LDL (“bad” cholesterol), HDL (“healthy” cholesterol), and triglycerides (another type of fat in the blood that puts you at risk for heart problems).

Don’t drink a lot of alcohol. Men should not have more than two drinks a day and women only one.
One drink is equal to:

• One 12-ounce can or bottle of regular beer, ale, or wine cooler

• One 8- or 9-ounce can or bottle of malt liquor

• One 5-ounce glass of red or white wine

• One 1.5-ounce shot glass of distilled spirits like gin, rum, tequila, vodka, or whiskey

Manage stress. Learn how to manage stress, relax, and cope with problems to improve physical and emotional health. Consider activities such as a stress management program, meditation, physical activity, and talking things out with friends or family. To learn more about stress management techniques, visit the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR DOCTOR

Ask your doctor questions to learn more about your risk for heart disease and what to do about it. Learn what you can do if you are at increased risk or already have a heart problem.

1. What is my risk for heart disease?

2. What is my blood pressure?

3. What are my cholesterol numbers? (These include total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and triglycerides.) Make sure your doctor has checked a fasting blood sample to determine your cholesterol levels.

4. Do I need to lose weight for my health?

5. What is my blood sugar level, and does it mean that I’m at risk for diabetes?

6. What other screening tests do I need to tell me if I’m at risk for heart disease and how to lower my risk?

7. What can you do to help me quit smoking?

8. How much physical activity do I need to help protect my heart?

9. What’s a heart-healthy eating plan for me?

10. How can I tell if I’m having a heart attack? If I think I’m having one, what should I do?