Some risk factors are non-modifiable with heart disease, however there are many lifestyle choices you can make that can help to keep your heart healthy. We all know that a varied, balanced diet may improve our health, both now and in the future, and this is as relevant for heart disease as it is for many other chronic illnesses. Maintaining a healthy weight also benefits your blood pressure and other heart disease risk factors, too.
What is heart disease?
Heart disease or cardiovascular disease (CVD) includes all diseases of the heart and circulation including coronary heart disease, heart failure and stroke.
Types of heart disease
- Coronary heart disease – refers to a condition where fatty deposits build up inside the arteries supporting the heart, this process is called atherosclerosis. It’s the most commonly diagnosed type of heart disease, and the single biggest premature killer (before 75 years) in the UK. The fatty deposits cause the arteries (that supply the heart and brain with oxygen-rich blood) to become narrow. In time, these arteries are too narrow to deliver enough oxygenated blood to the heart muscle and may cause symptoms known as angina and/or result in a heart attack.
- Stroke – occurs when the blood supply to the brain is interrupted or reduced, depriving the brain of nutrients and oxygen, this may be caused by coronary heart disease. Stroke causes about 34,000 UK deaths each year and is one of the main causes of disability.
- Heart failure (congestive heart failure) – is a progressive condition where the heart muscle is too weak or stiff to circulate blood effectively. There are different types of the condition and about one million people in the UK have a diagnosis.
- Heart valve disorder – one or more of the four valves in the heart do not function properly, which disrupts blood flow.
- Arrhythmia (heart rhythm disorder) – this condition refers to when the heart beats too quickly or too slowly or with an irregular pattern.
- Cardiomyopathy – refers to problems with the heart muscle, perhaps the walls of the heart have become stretched, thickened or stiff.
- Aortic disease – the aorta is the main artery that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body, if the wall of the aorta is weakened, it may lead to a tear or bulge (aneurysm), this is a life-threatening event.
- Congenital heart disease – refers to a defect or abnormality in the heart that is present from birth; each day 13 babies in the UK are diagnosed with a congenital heart defect, with many more people diagnosed later in life.
- Inherited genetic heart condition – these conditions may affect the heart muscle or the electrical messages sent to or from the heart.
- Vascular disease – affects the circulatory system, including arteries, veins and lymph and may be due to blood clots, aneurysms or plaque buildup (atherosclerosis).
- Inflammatory heart conditions – this includes myocarditis or endocarditis and may occur following injury or infection; the condition involves swelling, pain and potential damage to the heart muscle, linings or valves.
What are the symptoms of the most common heart condition – coronary heart disease?
- Chest pain or tightness (known as angina)
- Shortness of breath
- Pain radiating to the arms, neck or jaw
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Weakness
- Feeling hot and clammy
What causes heart disease?
For many of us certain aspects of our diet and lifestyle may increase our risk of a heart condition. These include:
Risk factors that you can’t control include:
- Family history of cardiovascular disease
- Your ethnic background
- Your age – the older you are, the more at risk you are of developing cardiovascular disease
- Your sex – research shows that men are more likely to develop CVD at an earlier age than women.
How is heart disease treated?
This will depend on your specific form of heart disease as well as your age and general health and wellbeing. For the most common form of heart disease – coronary heart disease – you may be advised to combine lifestyle and diet changes, with medication and/or surgery, such as:
- Diet – follow a balanced, varied diet that is low in salt, sugar and saturated fat.
- Lifestyle – include regular physical activity; if you smoke, stop; and for those who consume alcohol, moderate your intake.
- Medication – will vary but may include statins for managing cholesterol, anti-coagulants such as warfarin or apixaban to moderate blood clotting, ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers and/or diuretics for blood pressure.
- Surgery – such as the insertion of a stent to relieve an obstructive artery, a heart bypass to improve blood flow or the insertion of a pacemaker to improve heart rate and function.
You should always consult a healthcare professional for advice – in the first instance see your GP for guidance and, where appropriate, ask for a referral to a cardiologist.
Dietary tips for preventing or managing heart disease
1. Get your five-a-day
Eating a diet rich in plant foods including a wide range of fruit and vegetables may help lower the risk of heart disease. Fruit and vegetables are loaded with vitamins, minerals, fibre and other nutrients, all of which may play a role in helping to reduce your risk of illness. Fresh, frozen, chilled, canned or dried fruit and vegetables along with beans, pulses and 100 per cent fruit, unsweetened juice (not from concentrate) all count. Aim to eat at least five portions a day.
One reason fruit and vegetables are so beneficial is that they are rich in protective antioxidants as well as the mineral potassium, which may help control blood pressure and regulate your heartbeat. Fruit, green leafy vegetables and root veg are also rich in folate, which is essential for the formation of blood cells and helps control levels of a compound called homocysteine. There is growing evidence that people with high levels of homocysteine may be at a higher risk of CVD.
Get all five of your five-a-day in one dish with our five-a-day recipes.
2. Choose your fat wisely
Saturated fat is frequently vilified, because historically it has been linked to cardiovascular disease. Red meat, butter, cheese, burgers and sausages, are all high in saturated fat, as are ghee, coconut and palm oils.
More recent studies, however, suggest it’s not quite as clear cut as we once thought with saturated fats from certain foods such as those in dairy products, including cheese, having a neutral or even positive effect on heart health. This may be because of other nutrients, like calcium or the fermentation process itself, that modifies the effect of these saturated fats.
However, guidance remains that we should aim to keep saturated fat within reference intakes (RI) and focus our intake on heart-friendly fats. These include the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats found in olive oil, avocado, nuts and seeds (and their oils) as well as oily varieties of fish.
Fill up on healthy, unsaturated fats with our avocado salad, broccoli lemon chicken with cashews, carrot pilaf with coriander chutney and tomato penne with avocado.
3. Heart-healthy fish
UK dietary guidelines recommend we eat at least two portions of fish per week, at least one of which should be an oily variety. These include herring, mackerel, pilchards, sardines, salmon and trout. Oily fish provides the richest source of omega-3 fatty acids, which may help lower blood triglyceride levels. This may improve heart health by decreasing blood pressure, preventing blood clots, reducing inflammation and lowering the risk of heart attacks and stroke.
For a heart-healthy fish suppers, try salmon salad, grilled mackerel with soy, lime & ginger, and zingy salmon with brown rice salad.
If you have an allergy to fish or are unable to eat it for other reasons, there are vegetarian food sources of omega-3 fats that you may wish to try. These include flax seeds, chia seeds, rapeseed oil and walnuts. The type of omega-3 fats in these plant foods is in a less potent form, so you will need to eat these foods regularly. Alternatively, consider a plant-sourced omega-3 supplement.
4. Fill up on fibre
Avocado & black bean eggs
Fibre can be beneficial because it may help reduce blood pressure and it moderates the amount of cholesterol absorbed into your bloodstream. Useful foods include porridge oats, barley, beans, pulses, lentils, nuts, fruits and vegetables. These are rich in a soluble type of fibre, which is especially helpful at managing cholesterol levels.
A high-fibre diet helps fill you up, making you less likely to snack on sugary foods which may help balance blood sugar and watch weight.
Kick-start your day with high-fibre muesli, raspberry kefir overnight oats, avocado & black bean eggs, and feta & roasted tomato shakshuka.
5. Be salt savvy
Most UK adults eat more salt than is recommended – adults should have no more than six grams per day. Salt is linked to high blood pressure, especially in salt-sensitive individuals.
Up to 80 per cent of the salt we eat is hidden in foods such as packet and canned products, instant noodles, soups, ketchups, sauces and salty savoury snacks. In addition, many everyday staples like bread and breakfast cereals are significant contributors.
Try to reduce the amount of salt you eat by reading product labels – this will help you make better choices. Read more about this and how diet can help.
Check out our low-salt recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
6. Ditch the ultra-processed foods
Typically high in saturated fat, salt and sugar, it is no surprise that eating ultra-processed foods is linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, especially among middle-aged individuals.
The answer to this is to cook from scratch more often, using whole, fresh and if possible, seasonal ingredients. Batch cooking when you have the time will help ensure you don’t need to fall back on takeaways or ready meals.
Never be caught out again with our top batch-cooking recipes.
7. Go easy on the alcohol
UK guidelines suggest we drink no more than 14 units of alcohol per week, ideally spread over three or more days. In practical terms, that’s six medium (175ml) glasses of wine or six pints of four per cent beer.
It is important to stick to these recommended limits for alcohol and avoid binge drinking. Alcohol is high in calories and even a small amount can reduce your resolve and increase your appetite, so it is unsurprisingly linked to weight gain. There’s no completely safe level of drinking, but sticking within these guidelines helps to lower your risk of harming your health.
For more information on healthy drinking habits, visit drinkaware.co.uk.
For more information visit…
The British Heart Foundation
The Stroke Association
Diabetes UK
More ways to keep your heart healthy…
Healthy recipes approved by The British Heart Foundation
What to eat for a healthy heart
Top 10 tips for a healthy heart
Heart-healthy portions
More health and nutrition tips
This page was reviewed on 16 March 2026 by Kerry Torrens
Kerry Torrens BSc. (Hons) PgCert MBANT is a registered nutritionist with a post graduate diploma in personalised nutrition & nutritional therapy. She is a member of the British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT) and a member of the Guild of Food Writers. Over the last 15 years she has been a contributing author to a number of nutritional and cookery publications including Good Food. Find her on Instagram at @kerry_torrens_nutrition_
Jo Williams is a registered nutritionist (RNutr) with the Association for Nutrition with a specialism in public health. Follow her on Twitter @nutri_jo.
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