Physical exercise helps strengthen the muscles of the heart and encourage proper function throughout the entire cardiovascular system. Aerobic exercise helps open up the blood vessels and may help improve blood-clotting factors. Burning at least 250 calories a day with exercise is recommended for overall heart health. Your goal should be moderate exercise for about 45 minutes daily.

Reducing salt intake is associated with an improvement in heart health when compared to those consuming less salt daily. Healthy adults should consume no more than 2,300mg of sodium a day. Limiting processed foods is the one of the most effective ways to reduce sodium levels.

Using tobacco has been linked to a negative impact on heart health. Smokers are twice as likely to suffer from heart health issues as nonsmokers.

Consuming two or more drinks per day has been linked to heart health issues. If you drink, drink in moderation to reduce the stress on your heart.

Whether acute or prolonged, stress creates a greater workload for the heart. Managing stress through yoga, relaxation, or exercise is recommended to maintain a healthy heart.

Excess body weight is directly related to heart health. People who are overweight, particularly in the abdominal area, have more health issues related to the heart.

The best indicator for proper weight is body fat percentage, because a scale doesn’t reflect how much of your weight is fat and how much is muscle. Making a trip to a gym or your doctor's office will give you an accurate measure of your body fat. If you have excess body fat, strive to lose it in order to help maintain a healthy heart.

Diet has a clear connection to heart health. A diet high in fat, cholesterol, and sodium affects not only the blood, but the lining of vessels and the pressure of blood in the system.

Making dietary changes that limit fat, cholesterol, and sodium help the body maintain healthy blood pressure and can reduce the amount of plaque buildup. Fiber also plays a key role in removing excess cholesterol and maintaining healthy cholesterol levels in the body.

For a healthy heart, focus on increasing the amounts of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in your diet. Cut down on cholesterol intake and choose good sources of fats such as olive oil, canola oil, and fatty fish.

Scientists know that a specific protein plays a key role in maintaining healthy cholesterol levels by removing excess amounts from the blood. Some families have a gene defect that reduces the production of this protein. This gene puts certain people at increased risk for maintaining a healthy heart.

Heart health is a leading concern for people of all ethnicities. However, African-Americans are proven to have more issues maintaining healthy blood pressure compared with Caucasians. African-American women are 72% more likely to have overall heart health concerns compared to Caucasians.

Traditionally, it has been believed that men have more difficulty maintaining heart health. However, with the highly publicized "Go Red for Women" campaign, more people are now realizing the impact that heart health concerns can also have on women. Since 1984, heart health concerns have affected more women than men.

Both men and women can sometimes experience no tangible issues with heart health, so it’s difficult to determine if they should be concerned. However, it’s even more pronounced with women. Their plaque distributes evenly throughout arterial walls; whereas men’s distributes in clumps. So angiograms for women can be misinterpreted as “normal”.

Diabetes has a direct impact on heart health. Even when blood glucose levels are under control, diabetes can affect heart health.

The foundations of a healthy heart begin as early as adolescence. By the age of 45 for men and 55 for women, years of unhealthy dietary and exercise habits begin to have an impact on heart health. Issues with heart health dramatically increase with age – younger men and women are far less likely to have concerns with this area of health.