Everything from bad sleep to stress can hurt your heart and wreck your health
Published by: AARP
Here are 10 habits to avoid if you’re hoping to improve your heart health.
1. Being a couch potato
Not moving enough, especially on a regular basis, is risky for your health. Inactivity has been linked to cognitive decline, more frailty, and even an increased risk of death. Fortunately, almost any sort of activity that raises your heart rate is a good place to start.
It’s important to move your body and elevate your heart rate for at least 150 minutes every week. You should also throw in twice-weekly strength training sessions, according to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
2. Drinking too much alcohol
“Not everyone recognizes the connection between heart health and alcohol,” Youmans says. But drinking too much alcohol can raise blood pressure, cause irregular heartbeats “and even have a direct toxic effect on the heart.”
In fact, imbibing too much “can lead to heart failure or a weakening of the heart,” says Amber Johnson, M.D., a cardiologist and assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
How much is too much? Women should have up to one drink per day, and men should limit their intake to two drinks or fewer, according to HHS guidelines.
3. Skimping on sleep
Not getting your seven (or eight or nine) hours of shut-eye a night will slowly, but quite reliably, damage your health, including your heart.
“Poor-quality sleep or untreated sleep apnea can lead to high blood pressure and affect heart health,” Lewsey cautions. Lack of sleep has also been associated with diabetes and weight gain, which negatively affect heart health, too.
4. Opting for unhealthy foods
A heart-healthy diet includes a panoply of delicious options: fruits, vegetables, lean protein, nuts, and whole grains. Data suggest that a so-called Mediterranean diet — mostly plants, with “good fats” like walnuts, almonds, olive oil, and avocados — supports good heart health. This style of eating limits red meat; fish and poultry are OK, as long as you keep these proteins to under 5.5 ounces per day.
Swap sodas for water — a lot of water. Watch out for processed, sugary and fried foods, and be mindful of what you eat and drink at restaurants. Food full of saturated and trans fats, salt, and cholesterol is best reserved for special occasions, rather than on the daily.
“Avoiding high sodium is really important,” Johnson adds. The American Heart Association recommends that most adults consume fewer than 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day, with 2,300 mg as an upper limit.
5. Living a lonely life
It’s so important to have a group of friends and family to lean on. Unfortunately, it’s not as common as you may think. More than one-third of adults 45 and older are lonely, and nearly one-fourth of those 65-plus are considered to be socially isolated, research shows. This circumstance is often terrible for your health, including your heart.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists a number of resources that people who are feeling lonely or socially isolated can use. Among them is AARP and its Community Connections tool, which works to connect adults with others in their community.
6. Smoking tobacco
Whether you vape or smoke cigarettes or cigars, tobacco is terrible for your health. Secondhand tobacco smoke is, too. Most people know this, but what you may not realize is that tobacco doesn’t just ravage your lungs and cause cancer: Your heart is also a victim.
7. Minimizing your mental health
Managing your stress is key to maintaining good health. If anxiety gets out of control, we’re more likely to do things that are damaging. What’s more, stress raises your blood pressure. To combat this, try to find something you enjoy that will help you calm down and breathe better. For some people, it’s meditating. Others enjoy hiking, cooking, or playing board games with friends.
8. Waiting to lose weight
Carrying around extra weight, especially around your waist, is bad for your heart.
Obesity itself is a risk factor for heart disease. Researchers have found that the heavier you are, the higher your risk is for heart disease — it’s a so-called silent heart injury, even if you feel healthy, even if your numbers look good.
It’s also true that being overweight or obese can spike your cholesterol levels, your blood sugar, your triglycerides, and your blood pressure. All of these factors damage your heart and raise your risk of developing heart disease. Obesity is commonly linked with diabetes, as well.
9. Neglecting your teeth
Though a clear scientific link between dental hygiene and coronary health hasn’t been established (it’s still an open question), some researchers say there is an association between the two. That is, poor oral health often means poor heart health. Gum disease is associated with heart disease, and bacterial infections and inflammation appear to play a part, too.
10. Giving up too soon
Good heart health is often difficult to achieve and even harder to maintain — especially when everyone around you is continuing to do things you know aren’t good for you.
“Habit change is hard,” Youmans says. “It can take some time to break them, particularly if they are enjoyable.”
He adds, “Anything that is worth having, takes time. Making a small change that you can sustain for a long period is much more important than a bigger change that may be harder to sustain.”