What are the 5 heart numbers you need to know? How can you keep your heart healthy in just minutes. Learn about healthy-heart steps, heart health supplements, and surprising body cues that could indicate a heart concern.

5 Heart Numbers You Need to Know

Keeping your heart healthy is crucial for overall well-being. Johns Hopkins Medicine highlights five key heart numbers you should be aware of to monitor your cardiovascular health:

1. Blood Pressure: Aim for a reading below 120/80 mm Hg. High blood pressure increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure.
2. Cholesterol: Total cholesterol should be less than 200 mg/dL, with an LDL (bad) cholesterol level below 100 mg/dL and an HDL (good) cholesterol above 40 mg/dL for men and 50 mg/dL for women. High cholesterol can lead to plaque buildup in the arteries.
3. Blood Glucose: A fasting blood glucose level below 100 mg/dL is considered normal. Elevated blood sugar increases the risk of diabetes, which is a major risk factor for heart disease.
4. Body Mass Index (BMI): Maintain a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9, which is considered a healthy weight range. Excess weight puts extra strain on the cardiovascular system.
5. Waist Circumference: For women, aim for a waist measurement under 35 inches, and for men, under 40 inches. Abdominal fat is linked to a higher risk of heart disease and other health problems.

5 Healthy-Heart Steps That Take Just Minutes

Taking simple, small steps each day can make a big difference in heart health. Johns Hopkins Medicine recommends the following quick and easy actions:

1. Get Moving: Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise, such as brisk walking, most days of the week.
2. Eat Heart-Healthy Foods: Incorporate more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats into your diet.
3. Manage Stress: Try relaxation techniques like deep breathing, meditation, or yoga to reduce the negative impact of stress on the cardiovascular system.
4. Get Enough Sleep: Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night, as sleep deprivation can increase the risk of heart disease.
5. Quit Smoking: Smoking is a major risk factor for heart disease, so quitting can significantly improve heart health.

The Truth About 4 Popular Heart Health Supplements

Many people turn to supplements in the hopes of improving their heart health, but not all of these products are equally effective. Johns Hopkins Medicine examines the evidence behind four popular heart health supplements:

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3s, found in fish oil and other sources, can help lower triglycerides and blood pressure, as well as reduce inflammation. However, the benefits for overall heart health are still being studied.

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)

CoQ10 is an antioxidant that plays a role in energy production in the body. Some research suggests it may help lower blood pressure and improve heart function, but more evidence is needed.

Garlic

Garlic has been touted for its heart-healthy properties, but the research on its ability to lower cholesterol or blood pressure is mixed. It may have other cardiovascular benefits, but the evidence is still inconclusive.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, but taking supplements does not necessarily improve heart health. More research is needed to determine the optimal vitamin D levels for cardiovascular well-being.

Risk Factors for Heart Disease: Don’t Underestimate Stress

While many people are aware of traditional risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure, cholesterol, and obesity, the impact of stress is often overlooked. Johns Hopkins Medicine explains how stress can contribute to heart health issues:

Chronic stress can lead to inflammation, high blood pressure, and unhealthy coping behaviors like overeating, smoking, or lack of exercise – all of which can increase the risk of heart disease. Stress can also directly affect the cardiovascular system, leading to changes in heart rate and blood flow. To manage stress and protect your heart, try incorporating relaxation techniques, regular exercise, and healthy lifestyle habits into your daily routine.

Surprising Body Cues That Could Be a Heart Concern

Some subtle changes in the body may signal an underlying heart health issue. Johns Hopkins Medicine highlights a few surprising body cues that could indicate a potential heart concern:

• Swollen Legs or Ankles: This could be a sign of heart failure, where the heart is unable to pump blood effectively.
• Unexplained Fatigue: Persistent tiredness, even after rest, may be a symptom of heart disease or another cardiovascular problem.
• Cold Hands and Feet: Poor circulation, often caused by narrowed or blocked arteries, can lead to cold extremities.
• Frequent Urination: This could be a sign of heart failure, as the heart struggles to pump blood effectively.

If you notice any of these body cues, it’s important to consult with your healthcare provider to determine the underlying cause and receive appropriate treatment.

Heart-Healthy Eating on a Budget

Maintaining a heart-healthy diet doesn’t have to break the bank. Johns Hopkins Medicine offers the following tips for eating well while sticking to a budget:

• Plan Meals and Shop with a List: This helps you avoid impulse purchases and ensures you only buy what you need.
• Buy Frozen or Canned Fruits and Vegetables: These options are often more affordable than fresh produce and just as nutritious.
• Choose Whole Grains: Opt for whole wheat bread, brown rice, and oats, which are more budget-friendly than refined grains.
• Incorporate Legumes: Beans, lentils, and peas are inexpensive sources of heart-healthy protein and fiber.
• Buy in Bulk: Purchase pantry staples like nuts, seeds, and spices in larger quantities to save money in the long run.

By making smart choices and planning ahead, you can enjoy a nutritious, heart-healthy diet without breaking the bank.

Heart Health | Johns Hopkins Medicine

Stay Healthy

5 Heart Numbers You Need to Know

Stay Healthy

5 Healthy-Heart Steps That Take Just Minutes

Eat Smart

The Truth About 4 Popular Heart Health Supplements

Know Your Risks

Risk Factors for Heart Disease: Don’t Underestimate Stress

Know Your Risks

Surprising Body Cues That Could Be a Heart Concern

Eat Smart

Heart-Healthy Eating on a Budget

Heart Health Wellness and Prevention 

• 
  Heart Conditions
  
• 
  Physical Activity for Heart Health
  
• 
  Know Your Heart Risks
  
• 
  Maintaining Heart Health
  
• 
  Heart-Smart Eating
  
• 
  Recipes for Heart Health
  
• 
  Low-Fat Recipes
  
• 
  Low-Sodium Recipes
  
• 
  Low Cholesterol Recipes
  

Find a Doctor

Related

Article
Fight Inflammation to Help Prevent Heart Disease

Article
Better Care for All

Article
Women: How Controlling Blood Sugar Benefits Your Heart

Article
For Your Heart: Stay Calm and Cool

Article
Sitting Disease: How a Sedentary Lifestyle Affects Heart Health

Article
Simple Cooking with Heart Kitchen

Article
Calculating Your Cholesterol

Article
Cholesterol: 5 Truths to Know

Women’s Heart Health | MaryJo’s Story

Learn more about women’s heart health

Find a Treatment Center

Looking for smart, simple tips to help keep you healthy?
Your Health is a free, monthly e-newsletter from Johns Hopkins
Medicine.

All Heart Health Articles

From the latest heart health news, treatments and therapies, inspiring patient stories, to expert advice, we’re here to help you live your healthiest life every day.

THE LATEST

Magnesium helps keep bones strong, nerves and muscles working properly, and blood sugar under control. It’s also necessary for maintaining a steady heartbeat and normal blood pressure to maintain heart health.

By Mary Elizabeth DallasJune 13, 2023

These vitamin and mineral pairings add up to a healthier heart. A few dynamic duos: vitamin D and magnesium, iron and vitamin C, and more.

By Julie StewartJune 07, 2023

A heart-healthy diet will help keep your arteries clear after angioplasty. Learn about heart-healthy foods to eat as part of your heart disease treatment plan.

By Diana RodriguezJune 03, 2023

You don’t need equipment or an expensive gym membership to get regular exercise.

By Lisa RapaportMay 30, 2023

Period cycle lengths shorter than 22 days or longer than 34 days may signal stress and heart disease risk, according to a large new study.

By Becky UphamMay 26, 2023

One woman in the United States dies from heart disease every minute, and the risk increases with age. Find out how to best protect your heart in this decade-by-decade guide to healthy living and wellness.

By Sandra GordonMay 26, 2023

Sexual minority women appear to score lower on heart health scores compared with straight women and gay and bisexual men, according to a recent study.

By Becky UphamMay 18, 2023

Cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 cause of death in the United States. Make the most of your time with a cardiologist by taking steps to prepare for the appointment.

By Meryl Davids LandauMay 02, 2023

Despite their popularity, keto and paleo diets may not be great for long-term heart health — but the Mediterranean diet still ranks high.

By Kaitlin SullivanApril 28, 2023

Behavioral programs can help people lower their blood pressure, cholesterol, and average blood sugar levels, even if the weight loss isn’t maintained.

By Don RaufMarch 30, 2023

Women are more likely than men to struggle with anxiety and potential PTSD after cardiac arrest, according to a new study. Knowing the signs can help.

By Don RaufMarch 28, 2023

Iron deficiency anemia can make existing heart problems worse; it can cause them if it’s severe enough. Get the facts to protect your heart.

By Quinn PhillipsMarch 21, 2023

The risks for stroke, heart attack, and early death were all lower for women who followed the Mediterranean diet, according to a new study.

By Lisa RapaportMarch 20, 2023

Experts weigh in on his progress and what to do if you suspect someone is in cardiac arrest.

By Don RaufFebruary 15, 2023

Eating loads of processed sugar can affect your heart in much the same way too much fat and cholesterol does.

By Kaitlin SullivanFebruary 14, 2023

Erectile dysfunction drugs may reduce the risk of early death from heart attack and stroke.

By Don RaufJanuary 25, 2023

Cardiomyopathy is an umbrella term for a variety of conditions that affect the heart muscle. Learn more about causes, types, and treatments.

By Don RaufJanuary 05, 2023

The Buffalo Bills player remains in critical condition. Here’s more on cardiac arrest, including how it differs from heart attack and why it’s so dangerous.

By Becky UphamJanuary 03, 2023

According to a large Swedish study published in April 2019 in the journal ‘Circulation,’ hands-only CPR doubled a person’s odds of surviving at least 30 days after cardiac arrest.

By Linda ThrasybuleJanuary 03, 2023

Omega-3 fatty acids, folic acid, and CoQ10 may reduce heart disease risks, but vitamins C and E, selenium, and beta-carotene come up short, a new study finds.

By Becky UphamDecember 08, 2022

See More

Healthy Heart | p4spb

Heart health plays an important role in a full human life. Cardiovascular diseases rank first among the causes of death in people in the world, incl. and Russia. And sadly, these diseases are getting younger and younger. The statistics of cardiovascular diseases looks disappointing: about 17.9 million people die annually in the world, including 1.3 million in Russia. Heart and vascular diseases in Russians account for 53% of total mortality. The main role here is played by coronary heart disease and arterial hypertension with its complications – myocardial infarctions and strokes. If all over the world heart attacks and strokes on average lead to a fatal outcome of one person per thousand, then in our country – three per thousand population.

The state of the organs and systems of the body, and hence the life expectancy of a person, depends on the proper functioning of the heart and the entire cardiovascular system.

An unhealthy lifestyle that leads to the development of diseases of the cardiovascular system is most often formed in childhood and adolescence, and with age, the risk of heart and vascular diseases only increases.

Risk factors that negatively affect the cardiovascular system of a teenager: lack of physical activity, unhealthy diet and obesity, harmful use of alcohol and tobacco, the presence of negative emotions.

​

Prevention of cardiovascular diseases should start from childhood. The following rules for a healthy heart will help strengthen the young heart of a teenager:

​

Rule 1. Physical activity!

Low physical activity leads to weakness of the heart muscle. The heart does not fully cope with its functions, and violations occur. Physical activity is simply necessary for your heart: this is gymnastics, swimming, walking, cycling, tennis, walking in the fresh air, feasible work. Such physical activity strengthens the cardiorespiratory system, normalizes blood pressure, lowers cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

Regular exercise reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by 3 times. To prevent diseases of the heart and blood vessels, physical activity is required, and the heart – like any muscle – requires physical training.

Active lifestyle – strong and healthy heart!

​

Rule 2. Healthy eating!

Proper nutrition is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. A teenager should eat regularly: 4-5 times a day in small portions with breaks no more than 3-4 hours, at the same time; have dinner no later than 2-3 hours before bedtime. Fluid needs to be consumed up to 2 liters per day. Adolescents need more nutrients and energy than children and adults (they should receive at least 29 per day00-3100 kcal). At the same time, their diet should be healthy and balanced: include a sufficient amount of fresh vegetables and fruits, lean meat, milk

and dairy products, vegetable oils, legumes, cereals, sea fish and seafood.

It is necessary to limit or eliminate the presence in the diet of fast carbohydrates, salt, flour, sweet, fatty and fried, the so-called fast food and other unhealthy foods.

Obesity in adolescents is based on an imbalance between the intake of energy in the body and its expenditure. The development of obesity as a result of overeating against the background of low physical activity leads to fatty deposits both in the heart and in the vessels – all this increases the risk of heart disease. Correction of nutrition, increasing the physical activity of a full child are the necessary components of the normalization of his weight.

A healthy diet can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease.

​

Rule 3. Give up bad habits!

Smoking is the main enemy of your heart. Nicotine raises the level of cholesterol in the blood and destroys blood vessels. Tobacco smoke contains a huge amount of carcinogens that can lead to atherosclerosis. After one cigarette smoked, blood pressure rises, the risk of thrombosis and blockage of the arteries increases. Vasoconstriction during smoking causes oxygen starvation – hypoxia. Those who smoke several cigarettes a day have a 2-fold increase in the risk of stroke and heart attack. And the nicotine contained in cigarettes accumulates and settles in the bronchi and lungs.

Excessive and frequent consumption of alcoholic beverages and beer can damage the muscles and blood vessels of the heart. There may be disturbances in the rhythm and work of the heart. In the future, cardiomyopathy and various irreversible disorders in the structure and functioning of the cardiovascular system may develop.

​

Rule 4. Learn to manage stress!

Stress and negative emotions negatively affect heart health. These phenomena can lead to an increase in blood pressure, increase the load on the heart muscle. It is impossible to avoid stress and negative emotions in everyday life, but learning to cope with them is quite possible.

It is necessary to learn how to rest properly. Healthy sleep lasts 7-8 hours. To improve sleep quality, try to go to bed and wake up at the same time, stop watching TV and scrolling through the social media feed before bed.

Regular medical examinations are also important for the early detection of heart problems.

The main ways to reduce the risk of heart disease should be controlled by YOU, not the doctor!

For the prevention of diseases of the cardiovascular system, you will not need special pills, but only a responsible attitude towards yourself and your body, incl. and to your heart.

​

According to the World Heart Federation, 80% of heart disease is preventable through a healthy lifestyle!

A healthy lifestyle becomes most effective if it is adopted by parents, if their behavior, culture of communication, nutrition, hygiene habits, adherence to physical culture will be the conditions of everyday life for the child.

Lifehacker’s best heart health articles that could save your life

Health

September 22, 2019

According to WHO statistics, 80% of premature deaths due to heart attacks and strokes could be avoided if risk factors were eliminated.

What to do if your heart hurts

Pain in the heart can indicate problems elsewhere in the body. We tell you how to understand which organ is really bothering you, and in what cases you need urgent help from specialists.

Read article →

7 healthy habits for heart health

Following a few simple rules will significantly reduce the risk of heart disease. For example, it is worth checking the level of cholesterol, playing sports and giving up bad habits. But that’s not all.

Read the article →

Signs of a heart attack when you need to call an ambulance

Gathered the most important things about a heart attack in one article. Find out what this disease is, how to recognize it, and what to do to help a person during an attack.

Read article →

11 signs that you may be in cardiac arrest

Some symptoms seem harmless, such as nausea or toothache. Check if you are in a risk group.

Read the article →

8 main questions about arrhythmia

A cardiovascular surgeon answers common questions about the disease: how to distinguish arrhythmia from palpitations, what is its danger and what to do to make the heart work correctly.

Read the article →

Where does hypertension come from and why measure pressure if everything is fine with you

High blood pressure is the cause of many dangerous diseases. An insidious disease is often disguised in such a way that a person may not even realize that his health is being threatened.

Read article →

Why a sedentary lifestyle is bad for the heart

Office workers who spend 10 hours a day at their desks are at risk of heart problems. You can reduce your chances of getting sick by becoming more active, but walking won’t be enough.