Saying that your heart is a complex organ is an understatement. Take some time to consider if your daily routine is as heart-friendly as it could be, and speak with your provider about your current heart health.
Establish a Heart Health Baseline
When you speak with your provider, they will consider your current health and existing risk factors before conducting applicable heart health screenings. Multiple screenings exist to help you and your primary care provider keep an eye on factors that affect your heart health. These include:
- Blood pressure measurement: This test should be done at every checkup or at least once per year.
- Fasting lipoprotein profile: This test, which should be done every 4-6 years in adults with average risk levels (more frequently for those at higher risk of heart disease), measures your cholesterol levels.
- Electrocardiography (EKG): This test measures the electrical activity of your heart (including any irregular heart rhythms) and may be ordered by your doctor.
- Heart scan/coronary calcium scoring: This test is a low-dose CT scan that looks for calcium deposits in the blood vessels supplying your heart, which can help predict future risk of heart disease. You should talk to your doctor about whether it is right for you.
The results of these tests can help determine the best lifestyle and medication changes that can help lower your heart disease risk and improve your overall health.
Better Heart Health, Better You
Small steps you can take each day that will help prevent cardiovascular disease include:
- Walking every day. Even a 10-minute walk each day is a great way to add more movement to your day, and if you want to start exercising regularly, starting small is a key step to building long-term habits.
- Adjust the fat and protein sources in your diet. Try to eat less red meat, more plant-based protein and fat, and seafood that is high in heart-healthy fats.
- Focus on healthy foods overall. Eating more unprocessed, whole foods and reducing the amount of animal fat in your diet will help improve your heart health and, as a byproduct, could help you reduce weight (another heart health booster).
- Reduce stress. While this is certainly easier said than done, limiting stress where you can has a marked impact on heart health, and you can choose the best way to do this for you: yoga, meditation or even simply a hobby that you enjoy.
Heart Health After Illness
Have you recently dealt with COVID-19 or other illness? You may be wondering how best to help your heart recover. While this is a situation where you will benefit from talking to your primary care provider, here are some ideas to get you started:
- Ease back into physical exertion. Even if you are an experienced athlete, experts recommend taking it slow and gradually building up stamina when returning to your favorite activities.
- Routine lab work. While everyone should prioritize this, regular testing of factors such as cholesterol, blood sugar and kidney function is especially important after an infection. Talk with your provider about when and how to get each screening.
- Create a routine. Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, exercise at the same time of day, and even try to eat meals around the same time of day because your body and your heart like consistent routines.
If you are experiencing issues that feel more serious, your primary care provider can identify whether further tests are necessary and refer you to appropriate specialists.
More to Read
- What You Need to Know About Heart Disease in Women of Color
- 6 Foods to Cut Back for Heart Health
- Yoga and Meditation for Heart Health
- How to Avoid Heart Disease
Medically reviewed by Vasundhara Muthu, MD.
