Heart-healthy Behaviors Benefit Much More Than the Heart

Key TakeawaysLifestyle habits that are good for your heart have broader benefitsHeart-healthy behaviors include not smoking, a nutritious diet and regular physical activityFolks who practice heart-healthy behaviors are more likely to maintain their brain and lung function .MONDAY, July 21, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Getting regular physical activity, eating a healthful diet, and engaging in other heart-friendly behaviors provides benefits that extend well beyond the heart, a new study shows.Such heart-healthy behaviors can also enhance brain function, vision, hearing and muscle strength, and reduce the risk of chronic diseases, including cancer and dementia, according to research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.“While we recently learned that heart-health and brain health are closely tied, in this review we found that almost every organ system and bodily function from head to toe benefit from a heart-healthy lifestyle,” study author Liliana Aguayo, research assistant professor of global public health at Emory University in Atlanta, said in a news release.For the study, researchers reviewed nearly 500 studies examining the impact of the American Heart Association’s Life’s Simple 7 metrics on health and well-being. The seven metrics include not smoking, healthy eating, regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight, as well as managing blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar. (The updated Life’s Essential 8 also includes sleep.)Folks who ticked more of these boxes were likely to maintain their brain and lung function, vision and hearing, and keep their teeth and muscle strength as they age, the researchers reported. In addition, people who practice more heart-healthy behaviors had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol and were less likely to have chronic ailments, including the lung disease COPD, cancer, pneumonia, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, fatty liver disease, type 2 diabetes, depression and kidney disease, the study showed. What's more, these folks also reported a better quality of life and a lower risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, breathing problems during sleep, metabolic syndrome, erectile dysfunction, disability and mobility problems, and premature death from all causes. Another bonus: People who engaged in more heart-healthy behaviors also had lower medical costs.Researchers said the findings emphasize the importance of understanding how even minor changes in lifestyle can have a big payoff for health. They added that more study is needed in underrepresented groups, including pregnant women and kids.More information Learn more about Life’s Essential 8 at The American Heart Association SOURCE: Emory University, news release, July 18, 2025 .What This Means For YouTaking steps to improve your heart health will have spillover benefits for your brains, lungs and risk for diseases..Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Heart-healthy Behaviors Benefit Much More Than the Heart

Related Stories