Day 5: Navigating the Heart Health Highway

There isn’t much that’s as frustrating as unexpected delays, construction zones and traffic jams when you’re on the road. Think about it: How often have you craned your neck and asked rhetorical questions like, “What’s the hold-up?” or “What’s going on up there?”

We’ve all done it, but when’s the last time you asked questions like that about your body—especially the highways to your heart?

When it comes to longevity, it’s vital to do everything you can to keep your heart running smoothly. The heart has a big job. One pathway pumps blood to your lungs, while the other routes oxygen-rich blood throughout the body. It also drives out carbon dioxide and other waste, dropping them off to be excreted from the lungs and kidneys.

However, the valves that control blood flow between our heart’s chambers can become thicker and stiffer as we age. In addition, our arteries can harden, and fatty deposits called plaques can slowly build up. Those sorts of internal “traffic jams” can lead to a heart attack or stroke when blood flow, oxygen and nutrients are blocked from getting to the heart and brain.

And, just like when driving, we often don’t see it until the problem is just in front of us.

In a 2023 poll, the American Heart Association reported that 53% of people didn’t know heart disease was the leading cause of death. Even more concerning is that nearly half of adults have some form of heart disease or are at risk for it, but many of them don’t know it.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 75% of us have hearts as much as five to eight years “older” than our biological ages. That makes us 250% as likely to develop heart failure within the next 15 years. People with older hearts are also more likely to smoke, eat poorly, not exercise enough, be overweight and have conditions like high cholesterol or diabetes.

The good news is we can map out ways to live healthier using the same tools as heart “superagers.” According to studies, people with ideal cardiovascular health are free from chronic disease longer than their peers. They also have less risk of cognitive decline and lower blood pressure, cholesterol, body mass indexes and blood sugar levels.

A Harvard study even found that people in their 80s who regularly exercise for 20 to 45 minutes per day had the aerobic capacity of someone in their 50s.

Researchers credit four health behaviors that help keep these superagers trucking along well into their golden years: maintaining a healthy diet, regularly exercising, quitting nicotine and getting plenty of sleep.

And it’s never too late to give it a spin. The American Heart Association reports that 50-year-olds with “ideal cardiovascular health” can increase their life expectancy by more than 40%.

So, use today’s tips to map out small changes and get back on the road to longevity. We even have a playlist from our heart series to help you rev your engine.