How can you lead a longer and healthier life with no heart trouble? These 7 key factors and tips can help you lower your risk of heart disease and stroke if you’ve never had one.

1. Get Active

Research shows that as little as 30 minutes of exercise and activity per day can help prevent heart attacks and strokes, and it can boost our general health and well-being. Not only heart disease but also you can protect yourself against colds, bouts of flu, etc. Exercise elevates your level of immunoglobulins, which are proteins that help bolster your immune system and ward off infections.

2. Stop Smoking

Soon after you stop, your odds of getting heart disease or high blood pressure will drop. Your risk of coronary heart disease will be dropped by 50% within 1 year of not smoking, and you’ll be much less likely to get heart disease. You will live longer, and you will feel much healthier than before.

3. Maintain A Healthy Weight

Maintaining a healthy body weight is key in controlling your blood pressure, lowering your risk of heart disease and certain types of cancers. The solution to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight isn’t complex. It’s a matter of eating healthily and moderately, and getting enough exercise. The balance of those things is different for everyone based on body type, metabolism, and family medical history.

4. Know Your Numbers

“Know your Numbers” which refers to key markers of heart health, like blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, body mass index (BMI). High blood pressure is the number 1 risk factor for stroke and a major factor for around 50% of all heart disease and strokes. Try to keep those numbers within a healthy range.

5. Eat Healthily

Everyone should aim for a well balanced diet. A diet which is low in saturated fats and rich in fruits and veggies can lower your risk of heart disease by 73%. A well-balanced diet should include at least 5 portions of fruits and vegetables a day. Try to frequently change the types of fruits and veggies you eat.

6. Know The Warning Signs

Heart attack symptoms often look different for men and women. For instance, men are more likely to have chest pain; women are more likely to have other symptoms along with chest discomfort, such as shortness of breath, nausea and extreme fatigue. If any of the symptoms appear with no obvious reason, pay attention and report them to your doctor.

7. Take Your Medicine

If you have a health condition, carefully take any medication your doctor has prescribed. Your cardiologist, along with your general physician, will decide the best medicines for you to take at home to help you manage your heart condition.

The bottom line? Healthy living is the best way to delay or avoid many heart diseases. Take charge of your health and pay attention to your health.