Heart disease causes a quarter of all deaths in the UK, the British Heart Foundation shared.
That’s one life every three minutes.
Heart disease is linked to the leading cause of death in the UK – dementia – too, because people with worse heart health are more likely to develop vascular dementia.
So it’s a good thing Dr Jeremy London, a board-certified heart surgeon, has shared his advice for a longer life.
In a YouTube short, his son asked: “After 25 years of being a heart surgeon, what are your rules for a longer life?”
Here are his pearls of wisdom:
1) Watch what you eat
“Think about what you put in your mouth,” the surgeon advised.
He recommends adopting a “A good, solid, whole foods nutritional plan” which limits processed foods.
The NHS says that a low-fat, high-fibre diet can help to reduce your risk of heart disease.
And an 80-country-wide study found that no matter where we are in the world, eating a diet rich in legumes, fruits, veggies, fish, and nuts was linked to better heart health.
2) Move every day
Exercising daily can help to improve your VO2 max, or your lung capacity, which is a “huge indicator of longevity,” the surgeon says.
Going from having a low VO2 max to a high one is associated with a 60-70% decrease in mortality risk.
“Add some aerobic activity into your exercise plan,” the surgeon continued (this includes exercises like dancing, running, or swimming).
“And you gotta have resistance training to increase muscle mass. Muscle mass is the organ of longevity.”
We lose muscle mass as we age in a process called sarcopenia.
Low muscle mass in older age is linked to an increased risk of falls and fractures, as well as a higher likelihood of developing dementia.
3) Sleep as well as you can
“A solid sleep and recovery plan” can lead to some of the “biggest gains” when it comes to your health, Dr London says.
“Recovery is critical” for a longer life, he adds.
2024 research found that men who sleep well live, on average, five years longer than those who don’t.
And poor-quality sleep, especially in midlife, has been linked to dementia as well.
The claims are familiar – but that’s a good thing
The research-backed advice is echoed by other experts, too.
At the Vatican’s longevity summit this year, Nobel Prize-winning chemist and biologist and author of Why We Die, Dr Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, said he “came to the conclusion that the trio of a moderate and healthy diet, regular exercise, and adequate sleep is probably better than anything out on the market today in terms of supplements or drugs.”
He adds that avoiding social isolation (which is linked to conditions like dementia, especially as we age) is advisable too.