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Preventing heart disease (and all cardiovascular diseases) means making smart choices now that will pay off the rest of your life.

Lack of exercise, a poor diet and other unhealthy habits can take their toll over the years. But anyone at any age can take simple steps to keep their heart healthy during each decade of life. Here’s how.

All age groups

No matter your age, everyone can benefit from a healthy diet and adequate physical activity.

• Choose a healthy eating plan. The food you eat can decrease your risk of heart disease and stroke.
  
  Pick foods low in saturated fat, trans fat, and sodium. As part of a healthy diet, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, fiber-rich whole grains, fish (preferably oily fish at least twice weekly), nuts, legumes and seeds. Select lower-fat dairy products and skinless poultry.  Limit sugar-sweetened beverages and red meat. If you choose to eat meat, select the leanest cuts available.
   
• Be physically active. You can slowly work up to at least 2½ hours (150 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity (e.g., brisk walking) every week or 1 hour and 15 minutes (75 minutes) of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity (e.g., jogging, running) or a combination of both every week. Learn the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s Guidelines for Physical Activity in Adults and in Children.
  
  Additionally, on two or more days a week you need muscle-strengthening activities that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest shoulders and arms). Children should get at least 60 minutes of activity daily. 
  
  
• Learn the warning signs. It’s never too early or too late to learn the warning signs of a heart attack and stroke. Not everyone experiences sudden numbness with a stroke or severe chest pain with a heart attack. Heart attack symptoms in women can be different than men. 

In your 20s

Getting smart about your heart early puts you far ahead of the curve. The things you do — or don’t do — have an impact on how long and how well you’re going to live. 

• Find a health care professional and have regular wellness exams. Healthy people need doctors, too. Establishing a relationship with a physician means you can start heart-health screenings now. Talk to your health care team about your diet, lifestyle and any other concerns. Make sure to have them regularly check your blood pressure, cholesterol, heart rate, blood sugar and body mass index.
  
  You may also need your blood sugar checked if you are pregnant, overweight or have diabetes. Knowing where your numbers stand early makes it easier to spot a possible change in the future.
   
• Be physically active. It’s a lot easier to be active and stay active if you start at a young age. Keep your workout routine interesting by mixing it up and finding new motivators.
   
• Don’t smoke. Avoid secondhand smoke. If you smoke, it’s time to quit. Even exposure to secondhand smoke poses a serious health hazard. Nonsmokers are up to 30 percent more likely to develop heart disease or lung cancer from secondhand smoke exposure, according to a U.S. Surgeon General report. 

In your 30s

Juggling family and career leaves many adults with little time to worry about their hearts. Here are some ways to balance all three.

• Make heart-healthy living a family affair. Create and sustain heart-healthy habits in your kids and you’ll reap the benefits, too. Spend less time on the couch and more time on the move. Explore a nearby park on foot or bike. Shoot some hoops or walk the dog. Plant a vegetable and fruit garden together and invite your kids into the kitchen to help cook.
   
• Know your family history. Shake down your family tree to learn about heart health. Having a relative with heart disease increases your risk, especially if the relative is a parent or sibling. That means you need to focus on risk factors you can control by maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly, not smoking and eating healthier. Keep your health care professional informed about any new heart problems in your family.
   
• Tame your stress. Long-term stress causes an increase in heart rate and blood pressure that may damage the artery walls. Learning stress-management techniques benefits your body and your quality of life. Try deep-breathing exercises and find time daily to do something you enjoy. Giving back through volunteering also does wonders for knocking out stress.

In your 40s

Your 40s may be consumed with working and childrearing, but you shouldn’t neglect your own well-being. 

Be aware of health issues that tend to arise in middle age. More than 38 million Americans have diabetes, and up to 95 percent of them have Type 2 diabetes, which most often develops in people over 45, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

If heart health hasn’t been a priority, don’t worry. Healthy choices you make now can strengthen your heart for the long haul. Understand why you need to make a lifestyle change and have the confidence to make it. Then, tackle them one at a time. 

• Watch your weight. You may notice your metabolism slowing down in your 40s. But you can avoid weight gain by following a heart-healthy diet and getting plenty of exercise. The trick is to find a workout routine you enjoy. If you need motivation to get moving, snag a workout buddy.
   
• Have your blood sugar level checked. In addition to blood pressure checks and other heart-health screenings, you should have a fasting blood glucose test by the time you’re 45. This first test serves as a baseline for future tests, which you should have every three years. Testing may be done earlier or more often if you are overweight, diabetic or at risk for becoming diabetic.
   
• Don’t brush off snoring. Listen to your sleeping partner’s complaints about your snoring. Sleep apnea, a disorder that causes pauses in breathing during sleep, is a common condition. If not properly treated, sleep apnea can contribute to high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.

In your 50s

Wrinkles and gray hair may be easy to spot, but you can’t see the impact aging has on your heart. So starting in your 50s, take extra steps to stay heart healthy. For women, menopause doesn’t cause cardiovascular disease, but risk factors can begin to occur around this time.

Now is often when people accumulate more weight, and heart disease risk factors appear. Research has shown that exercising regularly in middle age can improve the elasticity of blood vessels brought on by a sedentary lifestyle and reduce cardiovascular disease risk.

Find ways to walk more, whether it’s a few blocks in your neighborhood or a trek to the local farmer’s market to find fresh produce.

• Eat a healthy diet. It’s easy to slip into unhealthy eating habits. Make sure you are eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, fiber-rich whole grains, fish (preferably oily fish at least twice weekly), nuts, legumes and seeds. Try some meatless meals. Also keep in mind that preparing meals at home rather than eating out is usually a good way to eat healthier.
   
• Learn the warning signs of a heart attack and stroke. Get savvy about symptoms. Not everyone experiences sudden numbness with a stroke or severe chest pain with a heart attack. And heart attack symptoms in women can be different than men.
   
• Follow your treatment plan. By now, you may have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes or other conditions that increase your risk for heart disease or stroke. Lower your risk by following your prescribed treatment plan, including medications and lifestyle and diet changes.

In your 60s+

With age comes an increased risk for heart disease. Your blood pressure, cholesterol and other heart-related numbers tend to rise. Watching your numbers closely and managing any health problems — along with healthy eating and exercise — can help you live longer and better.

In your 60s and beyond, medical problems can become more prevalent. People with fewer health issues are likely to have fewer doctor visits and less hospital or nursing home care.

Whatever your age, reducing your cardiovascular disease risk is worth the effort. It’s often a good idea to involve the whole family — spouses, children and grandchildren.

• Learn about PAD. Starting in your 60s, getting plenty of physical activity can help prevent peripheral artery disease (PAD) or improve it symptoms. PAD is a lesser-known cardiovascular disease in which plaque builds up in the leg arteries.
   
• Watch your weight. Your body needs fewer calories as you get older. Excess weight causes your heart to work harder and increases the risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol. Exercising regularly and eating smaller portions of nutrient-rich foods may help you maintain a healthy weight.
   
• Learn the warning signs of a heart attack and stroke. Heart attack symptoms in women can be different than men. Knowing when you’re having a heart attack or stroke means you’re more likely to get immediate help. Quick treatment can save your life and prevent serious disability.