The Ultimate Cardiovascular Health Guide
The latest research on the importance of diet, supplements, exercise, and sleep for the heart.
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of preventable death in the world. Age is the leading risk factor for developing CVD, but physical inactivity, air pollution, and poor dietary habits are also major contributors.
It’s a sobering idea that the thing that’s killing the most people is the result of modifiable lifestyle habits. CVD doesn’t have to be the number one killer — but we’ve made it such.
But the fact that CVD is caused by factors within our control suggests that its prevention is also.
In this comprehensive guide to cardiovascular health, we’ll cover:
Aging and the cardiovascular system
Diet and cardiovascular health
Cardiovascular health supplements
Exercise and cardiovascular health
Sleep and cardiovascular health
The Aging Cardiovascular System 🫀
Along with our heart, our blood vessels are the conduits for blood, oxygen, hormone, and nutrient delivery to the rest of our body.
As we age, we have lower levels of nitric oxide (NO), leading to endothelial dysfunction, arterial stiffening, and a rise in blood pressure (hypertension) — three of the primary causes of cardiovascular disease.
Other mechanisms of cardiovascular aging include:
Mitochondrial dysfunction
Impaired autophagy
Accumulation of senescent “zombie” cells
Impaired nutrient sensing
Alterations in circulating (blood-borne) factors
The common theme among many of the above “hallmarks” of cardiovascular aging is an increase in inflammation and oxidative stress, which promote structural and functional changes that, ultimately, promote the development of CVD.
If we can lower levels of inflammation, we can reduce our risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Diet and Cardiovascular Health 🥗
What we eat doesn’t just affect our metabolic health, performance, and body composition. There are several diets and diet patterns that are known to be “heart healthy.”
Dietary restriction: cutting calories by 25–40% per day may reverse endothelial dysfunction and arterial stiffness and reduce blood pressure with age (studies mostly conducted in rodent models).
Restricting your sodium (salt) intake: Numerous studies have associated a high salt intake with elevated blood pressure and reduced endothelial function. For some individuals who are “salt sensitive”, sodium restriction may be imperative for maintaining a healthy blood pressure.
The Mediterranean diet: one of the most well-known eating patterns for cardiovascular health. Studies have shown effects of this diet on endothelial function, arterial stiffness, and blood pressure — which might be due to the high fiber content of the diet, as well as the high intake of healthy fats and micronutrients from vegetables.
Heart-healthy Supplements 💊
Nutraceuticals are compounds that exert physiological effects or provide a benefit for or protection against a disease.
Increasing levels of NO in the body can be accomplished by supplementing with nitrates in the form of beetroot juice. Nitrite/nitrate supplementation has been shown to increase endothelial function, reverse arterial stiffness, and improve mitochondrial fitness and function.
To improve the health of our mitochondria, antioxidants can be supplemented, which reduce the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). One such antioxidant — known as MitoQ — is unique in that it specifically targets the mitochondria.
Targeting cell recycling (autophagy) using trehalose and spermidine also improves endothelial function in some smaller human studies (for trehalose) and rodent studies (for trehalose and spermidine). These nutraceuticals likely reduce oxidative stress and improve NO availability.
Curcumin (the active compound found in the spice turmeric) is known to have anti-inflammatory effects, and some studies have shown that it may improve endothelial function.
Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) levels can be increased by supplementing with NAD precursors like nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) or nicotinamide riboside (NR). Some studies have shown the potential of NR in particular to reduce blood pressure and arterial stiffness.
Senolytics, which selectively target the accumulation of senescent (“zombie”) cells, could hold promise for improving cardiovascular aging and longevity. One particular senolytic known as fisetin has been shown in animal models to increase endothelial function and reduce cell senescence.
Exercise and Cardiovascular Health 🏃🏋🏿♀️
Aerobic exercise training has been consistently shown to improve endothelial function, reduce arterial stiffness, and lower blood pressure in healthy older adults and other populations with CVDs.
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