Making a few lifestyle changes can blunt your risk of heart disease and stroke, no matter your age. 

For much of the last hundred or so years, common perceptions of heart disease — specifically coronary artery disease, which leads to both heart attacks and strokes — have involved certain assumptions: that it primarily affects men, usually in their later years, and that much of the risk has to do with genetics.

But those clichés are based on research from an era during which certain biases prevailed; well into the 1990s, almost all research was conducted only on men, and the studies were often limited in size and scope. 

However, recent wide-scale research (known as the Global Burden of Disease study, or GBD) across hundreds of countries and multiple decades has found more nuances at play than previously understood. And in many ways, it’s all good news. 

The researchers discovered that, while you can’t negotiate with your genes that influence your odds of heart attack and stroke, you can reduce your risk by a significant percentage simply by adjusting various lifestyle factors. The more positive changes you make, the lower your risk.

Here are the steps you can take to protect your heart at any age.

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What You Can — and Can’t — Change to Reduce Your Risk of Heart Disease

There are a few fixed risk factors that can make you more or less predisposed to heart disease. “Nonmodifiable risk factors are out of our control and are based on sex, genetics, and ethnicity,” says Rohit Vuppuluri, D.O., F.A.C.C., R.P.V.I., a vascular cardiologist. That said, they play less significant of a role than previously believed. “While nonmodifiable risk factors must be considered, they are not often the leading factor for heart disease,” he says. “And each individual can control a large part of their risk for heart disease by managing their modifiable risk factors.” 

So what can you do to minimize your risk? The list of lifestyle changes is pretty straightforward, but your risk decreases dramatically for each one you check off. They are: 

Avoid Smoking 

Smoking is arguably one of the top heart disease risk factors. Quitting smoking has been shown to reduce the risk of heart attack or dying from heart disease by 50 percent, according to the National Institutes of Health. The positive effects accrue shortly after you quit, and the risk often continues to diminish over time. 

Exercise Regularly, Even a Little 

Engaging in moderate to vigorous exercise — ideally 150 minutes per week — reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, but even a small amount is better than none. Plus, new research suggests that exercise may actually repair the heart in people who are already at risk of heart failure. The conventional advice proves true: “Some is better than none, but more is better.” 

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Eat a Heart-Healthy Diet

If you grew up before the 2000s and had a parent at risk for heart disease, you may remember a doctor recommending that they eat a low-fat diet to reduce cholesterol. Research in the last ten years has upended those guidelines. 

While diet and cardiovascular disease research sometimes conflicts, there are promising findings for the Mediterranean diet’s positive effect on heart disease risk. Food quality also comes into play; the fewer processed foods you eat, the lower your risk of heart disease (and also cancer). 

Finally, the more diverse your fruit and vegetable intake, the better. New research reveals that people’s whose diets land in the top 10 percent of fruit and vegetable intake are 15 percent less at risk of coronary artery disease than those in the bottom 10 percent. Aim to consume a variety of sources each week. 

Reduce Stress

This lifestyle change particularly applies to those under 50 — and not just because retirees have it easier. “Adults younger than 50 should also work on stress management and incorporate stress management techniques through yoga, meditation, and mindfulness,” says Dr. Vuppuluri. That’s because long-term psychological stress (including isolation, marital stress, and work stress) can lead to higher risk as you age. The sooner you can reduce your stress, the better. 

The Bottom Line

If you’ve long engaged in some unhealthy lifestyle practices that increase your risk of heart disease, you may not feel motivated to make positive changes. But know that “it is possible to reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke at any age,” says Dr. Vuppuluri. 

Perhaps the most promising finding of recent studies is that you can adapt your lifestyle to decrease your risk of heart disease and stroke no matter your decade or state of health. In a study of elderly smokers who had suffered a stroke, quitting smoking reduced the risk of recurrence in 15 percent of cases. And, when people over 70 exercise for 30 minutes a day (even just walking), they reduce their risk of heart attack by 15 to 20 percent compared to sedentary peers.  

If someone in your life is over 50 and sedentary, Dr. Vuppuluri suggests encouraging them to make small interventions. That includes following a heart-healthy diet and regularly moving. And yes, low-impact activities count, he says. “Low-impact exercises help maintain muscle mass and bone strength,” he explains. “Walking, swimming, water aerobics, cycling, and resistance strength training are great low-impact exercises for adults over 50 years old.”