According to the American Heart Association, heart disease remains the world’s leading cause of death with 17.3 million deaths each year. That number is expected to rise to more than 23.6 million by 2030.

The Heart Foundation suggests that cardiovascular disease claims more lives than all forms of cancer combined and that coronary heart disease is the most common type of heart disease, killing nearly 380,000 people each year.

Many of us are well aware of these facts about heart disease, yet we still do so little for the health of our hearts, which grudgingly continue to work for us despite being subject to our negligence. Taking care of our tickers requires attention to many aspects of our lives. By adopting the following heart-healthy habits, we can add years to life while avoiding financial burden.

Heart-healthy habits:

Exercising regularly – Our heart is a muscle that needs to be worked on regularly to stay strong and healthy. Although any amount of exercise is better than none, we should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity (eg, brisk walking) each week or 1 hour and 15 minutes (75 minutes) of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity (eg, jogging, running) or a combination of both each week.

In addition, we need muscle-strengthening activities that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms) 2 or more days a week.

Eat healthy – We must choose foods low in saturated fat, trans fat and sodium. In addition, we should eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains rich in fiber, fish (preferably oily fish at least twice a week), nuts, vegetables and seeds, and try to eat some meals without meat. Also, sugary drinks and red meat should be limited. If one chooses to eat meat, they should select the leanest cuts available.

leave the tuxedo Smoking is one of the leading causes of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and causes one in three CVD deaths. The risk of CVD increases with the number of cigarettes smoked per day, as well as the number of years smoked. Smoking cigarettes with lower levels of tar or nicotine does not reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Avoid Secondhand Smoke – People are more likely to develop heart disease if they are exposed to secondhand smoke at home or at work. According to the American Heart Association, exposure to tobacco smoke contributes to about 34,000 premature deaths from heart disease and 7,300 deaths from lung cancer each year. This is because the chemicals released from cigarette smoke promote the development of plaque buildup in the arteries.

Practice dental hygiene It has been discovered that bacteria in the mouth, involved in the development of gum disease, can enter the bloodstream and cause an elevation of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation in the blood vessels. These changes can, in turn, increase our risk of heart disease and stroke.

Have regular and adequate sleep every day – A 2011 European Heart Journal review of 15 medical studies involving nearly 475,000 people found that people who got little sleep had a 48% increased risk of developing or dying from coronary heart disease (CHD) within a follow-up period of seven to 25 years. Interestingly, heavy sleepers, those who averaged nine or more hours a night, also had a 38% increased risk of developing or dying from CHD. Lack of sleep doesn’t necessarily cause heart disease, but it does increase heart disease risk factors.

Simple tips to change habits:

Replacing healthy habits with unhealthy ones rewards us with good health and a better quality of life. Many still find it difficult to incorporate healthy habits into their lives as sooner or later they return to an unhealthy lifestyle, thus losing all the beneficial effects they had. Like any other health habit, heart-healthy habits should be followed throughout life.

The following tips will help us incorporate heart-healthy habits in life:

• One has to make a decision and make conscious efforts to stick to the commitment.
• One has to discover the triggers and the obstacles to be overcome; otherwise one will set oneself up for failure.
• One should put a motto on a plan and review it from time to time.
• Visualizations and affirmations should be used, related to habits to change because they program the subconscious with the appropriate mentality to establish a new habit.
• By enlisting the support of family and friends, we can ward off temptation that can thwart our efforts.
• One must find ways to reward oneself because they make us feel good, even temporarily. They will help us stay motivated to stay on track.

The bottom line:

Our awareness of heart disease as the leading cause of death worldwide has increased. However, many still lack proper knowledge of those heart-healthy habits that need to be incorporated to keep our hearts strong. Furthermore, although many strive to adopt them, they do not stick with them and therefore cannot benefit from them.