Lifestyle Changes: Diet and Exercise

Research has shown that physical fitness declines 5%-10% per decade—but it doesn’t have to. Studies on people who are middle-aged and older show that serious athletes have twice the physical fitness of their sedentary peers. Older athletes' hearts function much like the hearts of their younger counterparts. Regular exercise causes the heart to pump more efficiently, even when exercise begins later in life.

Regular aerobic exercise can reduce age-related stiffening of the arteries. People who are more physically fit have less stiff, more compliant arteries.

Diets high in saturated fats and trans fats have been shown to raise LDL cholesterol levels. High LDL cholesterol is associated with atherosclerosis, which increases the risk for stroke and heart disease. By replacing saturated and trans fats like red meat and margarine with polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats like fish and olive oil (which raise healthy HDL cholesterol), you can significantly decrease the chance of having fatty deposits in your arteries.

What Lies Ahead

As researchers are discovering that it may not be age, but age-associated changes, that make older people at higher risk for heart failure, more research is on the way. New studies are trying to determine what we should eat and how much exercise we should get to prevent some of these age-associated changes. Further research is looking into how drugs and gene therapies can prevent the decline of heart health with age.

While this research is taking place, it is important to remember that making certain lifestyle changes is one of the safest, most effective ways to promote heart health. To help keep your heart healthy as you grow older, adopt the following lifestyle changes: