Ways to make your heart feel 20 years younger

June 14, 2025

Understanding Heart Aging and Prevention Strategies

Just like other parts of our body, our hearts also age over time. As the years go by, the arteries can start to clog with cholesterol, which can impede the flow of blood to the heart. This blockage may result in a heart attack, a serious event that can sometimes be fatal. While heart attacks were once thought to primarily impact those aged 50 and above, they are now increasingly appearing in people under 40, and even in their 30s.

Can We Reverse the Age of Our Heart?

Once a heart condition is identified, it’s usually a point of no return since the heart has limited self-healing abilities. However, further complications can often be avoided through proper diet, exercise, and medications. Therefore, the focus should be on preventing heart conditions before they begin. So, is it possible to reverse the age of our hearts—maybe even by 20 years? Let’s explore that.

What Is Heart Age?

Heart age is essentially a comparison of your heart’s health to that of the average heart for your chronological age. It considers various factors such as blood pressure, cholesterol levels, blood sugar, fitness status, and lifestyle choices. If your heart age exceeds your actual age, it indicates that your heart is aging more swiftly, putting you at a higher risk for heart diseases.

Doctors often utilize echocardiograms (ECGs), stress tests, and risk calculators to evaluate heart age. Research suggests that decreasing your heart age by addressing these factors can significantly lessen the likelihood of heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular conditions. Here’s how to do it.

Exercise Regularly

Regular exercise stands out as one of the most effective ways to keep your heart youthful. Studies indicate that just two years of consistent exercise can reverse some age-related damage to the heart. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activities weekly—think brisk walking, cycling, or swimming. Basically, engage in anything that makes your heart pump faster (often referred to as cardio).

Additionally, incorporating high-intensity interval training (HIIT) once or twice a week can be beneficial. It alternates short, intense bursts of activity with rest, enhancing heart function more effectively than moderate exercise alone. Exercise positively affects:

Your heart’s pumping ability
Stiffness in heart muscles
Resting heart rate and blood pressure
Oxygen use and blood circulation

Heart-Healthy Diet

Maintaining a healthy diet is crucial for heart health. Consuming a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and healthy fats (like olive oil and fatty fish) can help reduce inflammation and cholesterol buildup in your arteries. It’s also wise to eliminate processed foods, excess salt, sugar, and unhealthy fats, even if your risk seems low.

The Mediterranean diet—which emphasizes plant-based foods along with olive oil as the primary fat source—is often recommended for its heart-friendly benefits. It aids in lowering bad cholesterol (LDL) while raising good cholesterol (HDL), ultimately reducing the likelihood of artery blockages and improving blood flow. A balanced, nutritious diet supports both heart function and overall well-being.

Keep Your Vitals in Check

Conditions like high blood pressure and high cholesterol are significant contributors to heart aging, damaging blood vessels and increasing the risks of heart attacks and strokes. Regular health check-ups can help keep these metrics under control.

If you find your blood pressure or cholesterol levels are high, some lifestyle adjustments along with, if needed, prescribed medication can help manage these. Lowering blood pressure alleviates stress on your heart, while monitoring cholesterol levels helps protect your arteries. Both strategies can help in reducing the biological age of your heart.

Quit Smoking and Limit Alcohol

Smoking accelerates heart aging by harming blood vessels and causing inflammation. The good news is that quitting smoking can lead to immediate improvements in heart health. On the flip side, consuming excessive alcohol raises blood pressure and can lead to a host of other health issues, impacting heart wellness.

Moderating your alcohol intake or abstaining completely can provide significant protection for your heart. Avoiding tobacco and exercising moderation with alcohol consumption are key steps in maintaining a youthful heart.

Maintain a Healthy Weight

Being overweight or obese can elevate risks for high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease. Even small weight losses—about 5 to 10% of your total weight—can enhance heart function and reduce heart age.

Combining dietary changes with exercise can help decrease fat around the heart and blood vessels, leading to better blood flow and reducing inflammation. This promotes more efficient heart function while also potentially lowering its biological age.

Manage Stress

Chronic stress and inadequate sleep can hasten heart aging. Stress typically raises blood pressure and spurs inflammation, while poor sleep disrupts heart rate and vessel function.

Implementing stress management techniques like meditation, deep breathing, or yoga can be beneficial. Strive for 7 to 8 hours of quality sleep each night. Mental wellness plays a crucial role in heart health and can contribute to a reduction in heart age.