5 Practical Ways to Lower Your Risk of Heart Disease

More than 2,600 people in the United States die from heart disease every day, and it’s the number one killer of both men and women. Are you at risk?

Genetics may play a role in your risk of developing heart disease, but your lifestyle choices affect your risk too. Making a few changes to how you live your life can benefit heart health. 

At East Side Primary Medical Care on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, our skilled physician Dr. Daniel Klein practices preventive healthcare. We help our patients make small, manageable changes to their habits to improve health.

Here, we want to share practical ways to lower your risk of heart disease.

1. Get more sleep

Living in the city that never sleeps is certainly exciting and convenient, but not something you should take to heart. Sleep is vital to health and wellness. It’s the part of your day where your body gets a chance to repair and recuperate. 

If you want to lower your risk of heart disease, establish a healthy sleep routine. Go to bed and wake up at the same time everyday, aiming for 7-8 hours of sleep a night. And, put away the electronics about an hour before bedtime. The light emitted by your devices affect your body’s natural sleep cycle, making it harder to fall asleep. 

2. Add more activity

We’d love for all of our patients to get 30 minutes of planned exercise five days a week, but we know time is tight. So, if you can’t make time for planned exercise, find other ways to add more activity into your daily routine to improve heart health. Some activities are better than none.

Tips for adding in activity:

• Use a standing desk
• Take the stairs instead of the elevator
• Walk to the next bus stop or subway station
• Stretch when watching TV
• Pace when talking on the phone
• Take three 10-minute walking breaks throughout the day

Adding more activity to your day benefits your heart, muscles, bones, and weight.

3. Eat fruits and vegetables

Eating five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day may lower your risk of heart disease. Fruits and vegetables are loaded with nutrients that benefit your health, including fiber, vitamin C, beta carotene, and potassium. 

Add fruit to cereal, have a salad at lunch,  include vegetables with dinner, and keep fruits and veggies accessible for snacks. 

4. Manage stress

Chronic stress increases inflammation and may contribute to the buildup of plaque in arteries. It also increases blood pressure and has you turning to unhealthy habits as a way to cope.

Help your heart by finding ways to manage your stress. Exercise, meditation, and spending time doing the things you enjoy are good ways to lower stress and improve health.

5. Quit smoking

Smoking tobacco products affects every organ in your body and is a major risk factor for heart disease. If you smoke, quitting is the best thing you can do for heart health. 

We know going “cold turkey” usually doesn’t work, so we offer many treatments to help you quit. 

Making a few changes to your daily habits can have a significant effect on your heart and health. 

Do you worry about heart disease? Are you struggling to improve certain habits that affect your health? We can help. Call our office at 680-206-2794 or book an appointment online today.