• Healthy State
  • Careers
  • Education
  • Research
  • Giving
Ochsner Health Ochsner Health
  • About
  • Find A Doctor (current)
  • Find A Location
  • Specialties & Treatments
MyOchsner Logo
Login | Signup
Submit Search
Close Search
  •   Home
  • In To Your Health...
  • Food & Fitness
  • Conditions & Treatment
  • Health Trends
  • Prevention & Wellness
  • Women's Health
  • Men's Health
  • Mental Health
  • Parenting
  • I need to...
  • Find a Doctor
  • Find a Location
  • Find a Specialty
  • Schedule an Appointment
  • Pay a Bill
  • Explore
  • About Ochsner
  • Careers
  • Patients & Visitors
  • "To Your Health" Blog
  • Health Resources
  • Medical Professionals
  • Education
  • Philanthropy
  • Community Outreach
  • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
  • Research
  • Ochsner Health Network
  • Schedule an Appointment
  • Call: 1-866-624-7637
  • Online: Login to MyOchsner
  • Personalize your content
  • patient Edit Persona Persona Chooser
To Your Health

View Newsletter Editions
  • Food & Fitness
  • Conditions & Treatment
  • Health Trends
  • Prevention & Wellness
  • Women's Health
  • Men's Health
  • Mental Health
  • Parenting
122413055 Senior Couple Jogging On Beach

7 Easy Steps to Ideal Heart Health

Feb 10, 2021 |
By Roland Bourgeois, MD
Share Facebook Logo Twitter Logo Pinterest Logo Email Logo

We have lots of important organs, but the heart is one of the most essential. Heart problems threaten our ability to stay alive. Every 36 seconds, one person will die of cardiovascular disease in the United States. Heart disease is also the leading cause of death for both men and women.

Medical technology has come a long way, and we have more tools than ever to treat an existing heart problem. However, as a physician, I believe the best way to treat heart disease is to prevent it. I emphasize to all of my patients the advantages of following the heart health guidelines from the American Heart Association. 

The American Heart Association has created a seven-step list that we can all follow to lead longer, more productive lives. This official list is called Life’s Simple 7 and is a practical solution to keeping our hearts in tip-top shape so we can enjoy all that life has to offer.

Life’s Simple 7 are:

  1. Increasing activity level.
  2. Quitting smoking.
  3. Eating better.
  4. Reducing blood sugar.
  5. Maintaining a healthy weight.
  6. Controlling cholesterol.
  7. Managing blood pressure.

Ideal cardiovascular health can be challenging to achieve because our genetic history plays a vital role in several health factors. These guidelines suggest simple steps we can all take to reduce our risk of developing heart disease and come as close to ideal heart health as possible.

From changing our diet and lifestyle to exercising more and maintaining a healthy weight, we can improve our chances of preventing a significant heart event. In some cases, we may even move from poor and intermediate health to excellent health without having to resort to costly surgery or expensive medication. The most exciting thing to me is that all of these steps are intrinsically related to one another. If you begin to succeed in one area, your efforts will very likely be rewarded in others. 

Take the first steps toward a healthy heart. Schedule an appointment with a cardiologist at ochsner.org/cardio

Referring back to the list, you may notice that a few of the steps are related to your diet. By eating better, we will also be able to at least partially manage our blood pressure, reduce our blood sugar levels, control our cholesterol and maintain a healthy weight. 

Many Americans eat way too much red meat and salty and sugary processed foods. Eating for your heart doesn’t have to be hard or tedious, though. If you’re interested in taking the first steps toward changing your diet, have a look at this list of heart-healthy foods you can incorporate into every meal from my Ochsner colleague Molly Kimball, RD.

Adding exercise into our routine is another great way to get our blood flowing, reducing blood pressure and helping our weight loss goals. And if you are a smoker and have any heart problems whatsoever, you should make every effort possible to quit smoking. Smoking is terrible for our health and can have an outsized impact on those with heart disease. 

You can research the relationship between all of these simple steps, as well as how to accomplish them on the American Heart Association's My Life Check website. But your best resource in the battle against heart disease will be your healthcare team. 

Every day, I help people begin their journey in reaching their ideal cardiovascular health. My best piece of advice to you is that improving any of these seven areas will lead to better health. These changes really can impact your quality of life and life span.

Editor's note: This article was originally published on Sep. 23, 2014. 

Tags
cardiology
heart disease
heart health

You may also be interested in:

Factors affecting heart health diet
Prevention & Wellness
February 25, 2021

5 Factors that Impact Your Heart Health

Your diet, whether or not you smoke, how sedentary your lifestyle is and your genetic history are all factors that impact your heart health.
By Ali Amkieh, MD, FACC
Chest Pain 461522793
Prevention & Wellness
September 4, 2020

Are You at Risk for Heart Failure?

Heart failure affects nearly 6 million Americans and is the leading cause of hospitalization in people older than 65
78163488
Conditions & Treatment
March 25, 2022

How to Lower Blood Pressure

Five ways to safely and effectively keep your blood pressure under control.
By Melissa Marcombe, NP

Comments about the blog? Send us an email!

Ochsner Health Ochsner Health
Schedule An Appointment: 1-866-624-7637
Follow us: Facebook Visit Ochsner Health on Facebook Twitter Follow Ochsner Health on Twitter LinkedIn Visit Ochsner Health's LinkedIn page Instagram Follow Ochsner Health on Instagram YouTube Subscribe to Ochsner Health on YouTube Pinterest Follow Ochsner Health on Pinterest TikTok Follow Ochsner Health on TikTok
Sign up for our free health and wellness newsletters delivered straight to your inbox.
SIGN UP

Patients & Visitors

  • Billing & Financial Services
  • Insurance Information
  • International Patients
  • Request Medical Records
  • Share Your Story
  • Read Patient Stories

Medical Professionals

  • Transfer a Patient
  • Refer a Patient

Health Resources

  • To Your Health Blog
  • Golden Opportunity
  • Healthy State
  • Ochsner Magazine

Job Seekers

  • Career Paths
  • Benefits
  • Open Positions

Employees

  • Webmail
  • OHSLink
  • Workday

Employers

  • Corporate Wellness
  • Medicare Advantage Plans

Community Outreach

  • Classes & Events
  • Programs
  • Community Health Needs Assessment
  • Dr. John Ochsner Discovery Health Sciences Academy

Education

  • Graduate Medical Education
  • Clinical Medical Education
  • Continuing Medical Education
  • Medical Library
  • Publishing Services
  • Medical Illustrations

Research

  • Clinical Trials
  • Applied Health Services Research
  • Clinical Research & Trials
  • Nursing Research
  • Translational Research

Giving

  • Donate
  • Volunteer

About Ochsner

  • Mission & Vision
  • History
  • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
  • Annual Report
  • Outcomes & Honors
  • News & Media
  • Alumni
  • Ochsner Health Network
  • Contact Us

Shop

  • O Bar
  • Optical Shop
  • Ochsner Fitness Center
  • Brent House Hotel

© Ochsner Health  | Notice of Privacy Practices | Terms of Use | Vendor Information

Ochsner accepts all major insurances.

Ochsner is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, founded on providing the best patient care, research, and education.

We are one of the country’s largest non-university based academic medical centers.

Ochsner is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

Community Needs Health Assessment

EpicMobile Tablet | EpicMobile Phone

Subscribe to Our Newsletters

Select the newsletters you'd like to receive.

Please select at least one category to continue.

Curious about our newsletters?

View details for each edition

Let us know where to send your newsletters.

To Your Health- Food and Fitness:
To Your Health- General:
To Your Health- Men’s Health:
To Your Health- Parenting:
To Your Health- Women’s Health:
To Your Health-Mental Health Monthly":
To Your Health- Skin Deep:

Source:
Source Description:
Marketing Goal:

You're all set!

We’ll send newsletters full of healthy living tips right to your inbox.

Ochsner Health System
ESC to Close

Begin Typing to Search

Select the drop-down to filter Search by Blog Articles or Sitewide