The daily seven
1. Walk 30 minutes · 2. Keep added salt under a teaspoon a day · 3. Cook with less oil, reuse it never · 4. Eat a fruit with breakfast · 5. Sleep 7–8 hours · 6. Don't smoke — and avoid second-hand smoke · 7. Take prescribed BP/cholesterol medicines at the same time every day.
Know your numbers
Blood pressure, fasting sugar, and a lipid profile once a year (more often if advised) catch trouble years before symptoms do. High BP in particular is silent — most people who have it feel perfectly fine.
Stress is a heart risk too
Chronic stress raises blood pressure and drives unhealthy eating. Ten minutes of breathing practice, a hobby, or simply a regular walk with a friend measurably helps.
Warning signs to never ignore
Chest heaviness on exertion, breathlessness climbing stairs you used to manage, or pain spreading to the jaw or left arm — get to a doctor immediately. Minutes matter with the heart.