Lifestyle and home remedies

If you have heart disease or a heart condition, your doctor will likely recommend making lifestyle changes to keep your heart as healthy as possible.

Examples of heart-healthy lifestyle changes are:

• Eat heart-healthy foods. Eat a healthy diet that's low in salt and solid fats and rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
• Exercise regularly. Aim to exercise for at least 30 minutes on most days.
• Quit smoking. If you smoke and can't quit on your own, talk to your doctor about strategies or programs to help you break a smoking habit.
• Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight increases the risk of developing heart disease.
• Keep blood pressure and cholesterol levels under control. Make lifestyle changes and take medications as prescribed to manage high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
• Drink alcohol in moderation. If you choose to drink alcohol, do so in moderation. For healthy adults, that means up to one drink a day for women of all ages and men older than age 65, and up to two drinks a day for men age 65 and younger.
• Maintain follow-up care. Take your medications as prescribed and have regular follow-up appointments with a doctor. Tell your doctor if your symptoms worsen.