By Sebastien Saitta
Heart age is a concept that captures your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Unfortunately, many Americans’ hearts are older than their age. CDC researchers collected risk factor data from every U.S. state and combined that with the Framingham Heart Study to find that that nearly 69 million of us in the United States who are between the ages of 30 and 74 have a “heart age” at least 5 years older than our actual age.1 That means too many of us are at greater risk of heart attack and stroke leading to unnecessary death or disability.
With the heart beating an amazing 100,000 times a day to pump 1,800 gallons of blood through more than 60,000 miles (if stretched end-to-end) of blood vessels, there’s plenty of reason to give it the tender loving care it deserves.
The Blue Zones Power 9®, a set of principles practiced among the healthiest and longest-lived people in the world presents opportunities to help prevent future heart attack or stroke. Follow these top Power 9 plays to improve your heart health and lower your heart age.
1. Move Naturally
Your heart is a muscle and as with any muscle, exercise will strengthen it. One of the simplest and easiest forms of exercise to follow is to move naturally. The world’s longest-lived people aren’t necessarily in the gym for hours on end running on a treadmill or lifting weights. Instead, they move without thinking about it. This includes walking around your neighborhood, doing yard work, planting a garden, cleaning your house, and even dancing. A study in JAMA revealed that those who get lots of light physical activity may have up to a 42 percent lower risk of dying from coronary problems, such as heart attacks, and a 22 percent lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease compared to women who get less exercise.2
2. 80% Rule
It’s no coincidence that deaths from heart attacks spike during the Holidays thanks to the copious amounts of food and other stress factors. In fact, eating a large amount of food in one sitting leads to higher levels of the stress hormone norepinephrine in the body. This can raise blood pressure and heart rate which may trigger heart attacks in some people. One tool to prevent overeating that is used by many Okinawans, a Blue Zones hotspot, is Hara Hachi bu or the 80% rule. The idea is to stop eating when you feel 80% full since it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to send a signal to the stomach to let you know that you’re full. This also goes a long way in preventing weight gain or obesity, another heart attack and stroke risk factor.
3. Down Shift
Our body produces a surge of hormones when in a stressful situation. These hormones put the body in a “fight or flight” response by making the heart beat faster and constricting blood vessels, therefor causing a temporary spike in blood pressure. The issue is that prolonged or frequent stress which is often experienced in today’s world, can lead to repeated blood pressure elevations, which eventually may lead to hypertension.3 The concept of Down Shift is a great tool in controlling stress and reducing high blood pressure that can result in stroke or heart attack. Down Shift strategies include meditation, yoga, deep breathing exercises, naps and light exercise.
4. Plant Slant
Studies show that eating a plant-based diet at any age may lower cardiovascular risk. While not all plant slant diets are created equal, one tends to be a shining star above the rest. The Mediterranean Diet, a diet low in red meat, sugar and saturated fat and high in legumes, green leafy vegetables, olive oil, nuts and other healthful foods, is one of the most heart-healthy diets. In fact, those who followed the Mediterranean diet had 50%–70% lower risk of recurrent heart disease compared with those who followed a diet similar to the American Heart Association (AHA) Step–I diet.4
5. Belong
Belonging to a faith-based community has many benefits that include a sense of peace, support and acceptance. But, did you know that it can lower your risk of dying from heart disease? Women who reported attending religious services at least once a week also had a 27 percent lower risk of dying from cardiovascular causes.5 Can we get an Amen?
Other steps to help protect and reduce your heart age include spending time with loved ones, refraining from or stopping the use of tobacco, limiting salt intake, and monitoring your blood pressure.
You can also take the free RealAge® test by Sharecare. This 10-minute test will yield your RealAge result: an estimate of your body’s age based on more than 100 factors affecting your health, happiness and lifespan. You get a personalized health profile, easy-to-implement health tips, and a dashboard that shows your progress toward your health goals. To take the RealAge test, visit bzpsouthwestflorida.sharecare.com.
Brought to Southwest Florida by NCH Healthcare System, in collaboration with Sharecare, Inc., Blue Zones Project is a vital part of Southwest Florida’s well-being improvement initiative that encourages changes in the community that lead to healthier options.
For more information about Blue Zones Project Southwest Florida, visit southwestflorida.bluezonesproject.com.
1 https://framinghamheartstudy.org/files/2021/07/FHS-Laying-the-Foundation-from-NIH.pdf
2 jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2727997
3 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9894438/
4 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2684076/
5 jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2521827