A major new study from Emory University has found that taking care of your heart doesn’t just protect you from heart disease—it also helps your entire body stay healthy.
The study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, looked at nearly 500 research papers and showed that a heart-healthy lifestyle can improve brain function, vision, hearing, muscle strength, and reduce the risk of serious diseases like cancer and dementia.
“While we recently learned that heart and brain health are closely linked, this review shows that almost every part of the body benefits from healthy habits,” said Dr. Liliana Aguayo, the study’s lead author and a professor at Emory’s School of Nursing.
The study focused on the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8™—a set of key habits for maintaining good heart health. These include not smoking, eating a healthy diet, staying active, keeping a healthy weight, and controlling blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, and getting enough sleep.
People who followed these habits were more likely to:
– Keep their brain, lungs, vision, hearing, teeth, and muscles strong as they got older.
– Have lower stress levels and a lower risk of many chronic illnesses, including cancer, diabetes, depression, dementia, liver disease, and kidney disease.
– Report a better quality of life and have fewer issues during pregnancy, sleep problems, or mobility difficulties.
– Spend less money on medical care and need fewer doctor visits, even for non-heart-related health problems.
This is the first major study to look at how these heart-healthy behaviors affect the entire body. The results show that even small steps to improve heart health can lead to big benefits in many areas of life.
The researchers say we need more studies on how these habits affect children, pregnant women, and other underrepresented groups. Still, the message is clear: taking care of your heart is one of the best ways to take care of your whole body.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about heart disease hidden and essential vitamins for heart health: a guide to a healthy heart.
For more about heart health, please read studies about the stuff in your mouth that can increase heart attack risk and statin alternative lowers risk of heart disease as well as cholesterol levels.
The study is published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
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