5 Simple Ways to Save Your Heart

Even if you've sworn off butter and cheese and your group cycling instructor knows you by name, your heart may still be in jeopardy. "While eating a diet low in saturated fat, exercising regularly, and not smoking play a large role in preventing cardiovascular disease, they're not the entire story," says Jennifer H. Mieres, M.D., a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association. In fact, half of heart attack and stroke sufferers have healthy cholesterol levels, according to a recent study in the New England Journal of Mediane. A growing body of research suggests that there are two other potent risk factors women and their doctors aren't addressing: borderline-high blood pressure and inflammation. "Unfortunately, many physicians overlook these conditions in young women they assume are fit and healthy," says Mieres.

The longer they go unnoticed, the more damage they can wreak on your cardiovascular system. Thankfully, studies reveal there are a number of ways you can reduce these risk factors. So don't put off your well-being -- incorporate these five heart-health boosters into your routine today.

1. Know Your Numbers. At your last checkup, the doctor probably scribbled something in your file after checking your blood pressure. But even if she didn't tell you it was high (a reading of 140/90 or higher), don't assume you're in the clear. Nearly 20 percent of people under the age of 35 have prehypertension (blood pressure between the normal and high ranges, or between 120/80 and 139/89), reveals research from the University of California, San Francisco.

What's worse, the study found that these young adults were more likely to develop high blood pressure, or hypertension, over the next two decades than those who had healthy readings. Hypertension forces your heart to work harder to pump blood through the body, which can cause arteries to narrow and raise your risk of heart attack or stroke.

Ask your doctor during your next visit for your exact numbers. If they're above 119/79, start making changes. One way to prevent hypertension, of course, is to lower your sodium intake. The average American consumes 41 percent more sodium a day than the recommended 2,400 milligrams. Much of this sodium comes from processed foods, such as canned soups, salad dressings and frozen entrees.

Also consider the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, which has been shown to make a difference in two weeks. This plan calls for eating more whole grains, fruits, vegetables, poultry, lowfat dairy and nuts, as well as less sodium, saturated fat, red meats and sugar. "Following the diet guarantees you'll consume sufficient amounts of the nutrients proven to lower blood pressure, such as fiber, calcium, potassium and magnesium," says Lawrence Fine, M.D., a researcher with the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute in Bethesda, Maryland. Stick with the plan and you'll reduce your heart disease risk by 24 percent, reports a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine study. (For more details, search "DASH" on nhlbi.nih.gov.)

2. Go Bananas. While you're stocking up on DASH-friendly produce, be sure to put a bunch of these potassium-rich fruits in your grocery cart. Researchers at Osaka University in Japan found that people who took in the lowest levels of the mineral had a 35 percent greater risk of death from cardiovascular disease than those who got the most. "Potassium works with sodium to regulate the water balance in the body, which promotes normal blood pressure," says Karen Kutoloski, D.O., director of the Women's Heart Center at Case Western Reserve University. Most women get only half the 4,700 milligrams of potassium they need daily; in addition to bananas (422 milligrams each), eat your way to this quota with foods such as halibut (490 milligrams for 3 ounces) and tomato sauce (453 milligrams per half cup).