How to Take Care of Your Heart: 5 Simple Steps to Better Heart Health

There is no better time to take care of your heart health than now. If you feel that your heart is under pressure, weakened by illness or an unhealthy lifestyle, you should never wait to make improvements. The sooner you make your heart’s health a priority, the better – and we advise this not just because Valentine’s Day, the “Day of Hearts,” is just around the corner. Without the heart, nothing in the human body functions properly. It influences our emotions, our performance, and our overall well-being.

Heart Disease often develops gradually and can have a variety of causes. Especially during the winter months, many people suffer from the flu or other infections, which can also strain and damage the heart. Chronic illnesses such as diabetes mellitus also pose a risk to heart health that should not be ignored. Additionally, an unhealthy lifestyle with poor nutrition, lack of exercise, and harmful habits such as smoking or excessive alcohol consumption can put long-term strain on the heart, weakening and damaging it. And yes – even how we handle our emotions has an impact on heart health.

In this article, we want to share five simple steps that can help you take care of your heart and achieve better heart health. Of course, our recommendations cannot replace professional medical advice. If you suspect that you may have a heart condition, you should always consult a trusted doctor. You can also undergo preventive check-ups, even if you have no signs of heart problems. In this case, prevention is always better than treatment.

Below, we will first provide you with a brief overview of heart disease in Germany, before offering tips for a more heart-friendly lifestyle and introducing some practical, easy-to-use devices that allow you to monitor your heart and keep track of your vital signs at all times.

Statistics on the Current State of Heart Health in Germany

The German Heart Foundation regularly compiles all essential data on the state of heart health among the German population. With more than 207,000 deaths per year, heart disease remains one of the most common causes of death in Germany. Over 1.7 million Germans suffer from a heart condition that has already required hospitalization. Each year, around 218,000 of them are admitted to a clinic due to a heart attack. In addition to heart attacks and coronary artery disease (CAD), other common heart conditions include cardiac arrhythmias, heart valve diseases, atrial fibrillation, and heart failure (cardiac insufficiency).

Five Steps to Maintaining Your Heart Health

The good news: We all have the power to take control of our own health and ensure that our hearts remain strong for years to come. Many risk factors for heart disease can be easily avoided. The primary reason for the gradual decline in heart health—often only becoming apparent in people over 50—is a lack of awareness. If you don’t know what harms your heart, you can’t take steps to eliminate these risks from your life. And more often than not, lifestyle choices such as smoking, consuming unhealthy foods, or leading a sedentary life are responsible for putting unnecessary strain on our hearts.

Here are five steps designed to identify harmful habits, explain their impact, and serve as a guide to better heart health.

Step 1: Eliminate What Harms Your Heart

There are two major culprits when it comes to heart damage: smoking and excessive alcohol consumption. Both are scientifically proven to be harmful to heart health. In fact, smoking is one of the biggest risk factors for vascular diseases, which can lead to heart attacks, strokes, and even cancer. Every year, around 120,000 people in Germany die as a result of tobacco use. The good news: If you manage to quit smoking, your heart, lungs, and other organs have a strong chance of recovery. Research and statistics show that quitting smoking—even after years of heavy consumption—can significantly extend your life expectancy.

However, smoking is an addiction, and many people struggle to quit. E-cigarettes are not a viable alternative either, as they often lead to even higher nicotine intake. If you want to remove harmful substances like cigarettes and alcohol from your life, you are not alone. There are usually many support programs and initiatives to help people overcome addiction. The longer you stay away from these harmful substances, the more you will feel the benefits of improved health. Quitting smoking is the most crucial step toward a healthy heart.

Step 2: Stay Active and Engage with Life

Movement is life! A lack of physical activity weakens essential organs like the heart, reducing its ability to function properly. Exercise not only strengthens the heart and maintains healthy blood circulation, but it also benefits the entire body. From digestion to mental health, many bodily functions depend on regular physical activity, which also promotes the release of so-called "feel-good hormones."

The good news: Even daily walks can make a significant difference. Try to incorporate movement into your daily routine—walk around while talking on the phone instead of sitting, or choose to walk or cycle short distances instead of driving. Even light strength training has been proven to have positive effects on heart health. If you already have heart problems, consulting a doctor can help you find a suitable program to regain your strength. You don’t need to become an athlete to maintain a healthy heart.

And let’s not forget the happiness hormones: An active lifestyle and social interactions with friends and like-minded people are particularly beneficial for your heart. Never isolate yourself—actively participate in life. Groups of all ages engage in activities like hiking, cycling, or dance events. Don’t underestimate the negative impact of loneliness on heart health. Instead, embrace the power of community. Being active together makes it easier to stay motivated, as you can support and encourage one another on the path to a healthier life.

Step 3: Ensure Sufficient Sleep and Relaxation

The heart needs a way to balance out daily stress. Stress is a natural part of life, but it becomes a problem when it gets out of control and the body can’t find relief. When we sleep and consciously relax, we counteract the negative effects of stress, such as high blood sugar and blood pressure. Make sure to set aside time for hobbies and activities that help you unwind. Whether it's fishing, crafting, or guided relaxation in a yoga class—everyone has their own preferred way to relax.

Sleep is essential for everyone. Sooner or later, the body demands those hours of deep rest, during which it slows down and undergoes important recovery processes. Heart rate and blood pressure decrease, allowing the body to repair itself. The amount of sleep needed varies from person to person, but at least six to eight hours per night is generally recommended.

Chronic sleep deprivation has the opposite effect: it increases the risk of heart disease due to a lack of proper recovery. If you constantly struggle with getting enough rest, seeking medical advice is crucial. If you still feel exhausted during the day despite getting enough sleep, conditions like sleep apnea could be the culprit and should be evaluated by a doctor.

Step 4: Pay Attention to Your Diet and Weight

The way we eat affects all bodily functions, including heart health. Two substances are particularly harmful when consumed in excess: sugar and salt. While salt is essential for survival, the body only needs small amounts daily. Too much salt initially binds water and raises blood pressure. At a certain point, the body flushes out the excess salt through urine, which becomes problematic if you’re not drinking enough fluids. In fact, most people don’t drink nearly enough water—at least two liters per day is recommended.

Sugar, on the other hand, is something we could almost entirely eliminate from our diet. While it may taste delicious, sugar is essentially a toxin—especially for the heart. Excessive sugar consumption in Western societies has led to widespread obesity and related diseases like diabetes. Obesity is particularly dangerous because it not only increases blood pressure but also places an additional strain on the body. The heavier a person is, the harder the heart has to work to pump oxygen-rich blood through the body.

Many doctors recommend a Mediterranean diet to support heart health. This includes plenty of vegetables, fruits, more fish than meat, and a low salt intake. By maintaining a balanced diet, you can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease and improve your overall well-being.

Step 5: Keep an Eye on Vital Signs Like Blood Pressure, Blood Sugar, and Pulse

We’ve talked a lot about vital signs such as blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and pulse rate. You can have these values measured through medical check-ups, which will also help you understand what your individual optimal levels should be. Additionally, thanks to modern medical technology, you now have the option to monitor your vital signs yourself using portable measurement devices.

For example, carrying a compact blood glucose meter allows you to track your blood sugar levels—not just after being diagnosed with diabetes, but even if you suspect you may be at risk. Blood pressure and heart rate can also be measured anytime using portable devices, whether at work, at home, or on the go. However, cholesterol levels, which are also crucial for heart health, can only be checked through medical tests.

To stay on top of your overall health, it’s advisable to schedule a general health check-up with your doctor at least once a year. This proactive approach ensures that any potential heart-related issues are detected early, giving you the best chance to maintain a healthy heart for years to come.

Monitor Heart Health with Diagnostic Devices from Medicalcorner24

At the Medicalcorner24 online store, you'll find a wide range of portable measurement devices designed for monitoring heart health and related vital functions.

For instance, you can purchase a portable ECG device to record your heart rhythm over an extended period. The data collected can later be saved and analyzed on your home computer via a USB connection. These mobile ECG devices are compact and easy to use. When you buy an ECG device, you can use it for regular heart activity measurements or only when needed—such as monitoring your heart after unusual physical exertion.

By incorporating such devices into your health routine, you can stay proactive in tracking your heart's condition and ensure that any changes are detected early.

Modern blood pressure monitors are easy to use manually and can be conveniently carried around in everyday life. It is no longer necessary to perform measurements using bulky cuffs around the upper arm. The compact manual blood pressure devices from the MC24 store come with cuffs that fit effortlessly around the wrist. These blood pressure monitors also feature large displays and offer plenty of memory storage, allowing for the tracking, analysis, and comparison of multiple measurements over a prolonged period.

For diabetics, it's crucial to be able to measure their blood sugar levels at any time – also to maintain heart health. At Medicalcorner24, you can purchase portable blood glucose meters and find essential accessories such as safety lancets, lancing devices, or diabetic bags with cooling packs.

It is advisable to purchase a portable pulse oximeter if you want to monitor both your heart rate and blood oxygen saturation during all activities. Typically, these compact devices are simply clipped onto the finger, where their light sensor can measure the pulse values through the skin surface. This process is completely painless as it uses light, and the results are clearly displayed on the screen.

We hope that our tips have inspired you to actively monitor and protect your heart health. With all our heart do we wish you great success in maintaining a healthy lifestyle!