A new study has found lowering your risk for heart disease could add as many as 15 years to your life.
The Whitehall study, which appears in the journal BMJ, followed more than 19,000 middle-aged men in the U.K. for four decades. It suggests that improving overall heart health by avoiding or quitting smoking as well as lowering blood pressure and cholesterol can increase life expectancy.
“The presence of all three of these risk factors in a middle-aged person is associated with a 10- to 15-year difference in life expectancy. The good news is these things can be controlled. We can all make changes to help us live a longer, healthier life,” epidemiologist and study researcher Robert Clarke tells WebMD.
There are many health resources that can help boost heart health naturally. Practitioners suggest acupuncture and hypnotherapy as well as herbal supplements containing St. Johns Wort and ginseng to quit smoking.
To control blood pressure without medication, experts recommend exercise, weight loss, a low sodium diet , avoid stress and cut back on caffeine.
Meanwhile, avoiding trans fats, red meat, eggs and whole milk products can help lower your cholesterol. Omega-3 fatty acids and items high in soluble fiber, like brown rice and oat bran, can also have a healthy impact on cholesterol. 