Your Heart Health at Every Age

No matter your age, protecting your heart health is a lifelong journey. Take the first step now toward a longer, healthier life.

YOUR HEART HEALTH AT EVERY AGE

Your heart works tirelessly for you each day. Daisy Lazarous, MD, cardiologist and Director of the Women’s Cardiovascular Program with Adventist HealthCare, shares how you can return the favor and protect your heart health at every age.

CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

Healthy habits start early. Teaching children to make heart-healthy choices can benefit them for the rest of their lives. Their diet should be well-balanced, consisting of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean protein. Ensure their plate has a fruit and vegetable at meals so they can develop the habit of incorporating healthy options at mealtime.

Limit your child’s screen time and encourage them to get moving. Children should get at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity daily. Biking, playing sports or even walking to the park are ways they can have fun while strengthening their heart.

YOUNG ADULTS (20s and 30s)

This is where people need to start forming their own healthy habits since they can greatly influence heart health later in life. It’s important to avoid smoking, vaping and drinking entirely.

"[Smoking and vaping] stiffen the arteries and facilitate cholesterol getting into the arteries, so the effects start very early.” says Dr. Lazarous. “Alcohol can lead to many different kinds of rhythm problems with the heart such as atrial fibrillation.”

She also notes that young adults in a pinch often eat poorly or skip workouts, so she recommends they establish proper diet and exercise routines that work for their schedule.

As women grow older, they have specific risk factors for heart attack or stroke, such as going through pregnancy.

“Eclampsia, high blood pressure during pregnancy and having a preterm baby can all double your risk of a future heart attack or stroke,” says Dr. Lazarous.

MIDDLE-AGED ADULTS (40s and 50s)

Dr. Lazarous recommends getting your blood pressure, cholesterol and other key heart numbers checked regularly. Knowing those numbers now makes it easier to notice changes later.

If you have high blood pressure, high cholesterol or other heart conditions, sit down with your care team to create a treatment and lifestyle plan that reduces your risk for stroke and heart attack.

Increased stress and depression from work or family life can raise your heart rate, blood pressure and risk for future a heart attack, so find ways to effectively reduce stress such as yoga or deep breathing.

A risk factor specific to women in this age range is menopause. Dr Lazarous says that women’s estrogen levels decrease during menopause, which causes their risk for heart attack or stroke to become equal and even exceed that of men.

OLDER ADULTS (60s and above)

Your risk for heart disease, heart attack and stroke all increase as you age. Dr. Lazarous recommends older adults coordinate with their care team on a regular basis to manage their risk factors, even if they don’t feel any symptoms.

“Thinking to yourself that you don’t have any symptoms, so therefore you don’t have heart disease is the wrong way to think about this,” she says.

If you or someone you know is at high risk for heart attack and stroke, knowing the signs will prepare you to act in the case of an emergency. 

• Common heart attack symptoms for men include chest pain, arm pain and shortness of breath. Common heart attack symptoms for women include chest pain, nausea, vomiting, back pain and jaw pain.
• Use the BE FAST method to learn the signs of a stroke. (Balance loss, Eyesight changes, Face drooping, Arm weakness, Slurred speech, Time to call 911.

If you start to experience any symptoms related to stroke or heart attack, call 9-1-1 right away as minutes and seconds matter.

No matter your age, protecting your heart health is a lifelong journey. Take the first step now toward a longer, healthier life. Take Adventist HealthCare’s free health risk assessment to learn your risk for heart disease.