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Living with a dog may help protect against heart disease and help people live longer. Potential perks of dog ownership include lower blood pressure, a lower resting heart rate, and possible small improvements in cholesterol levels, perhaps because dog owners are less sedentary than non-owners. But dogs may also provide emotional and social benefits, such as reducing loneliness and anxiety, encouraging people to interact with neighbors, and fostering stronger ties to the community.

Golf is a low-impact sport with several features that make it a good exercise for people who have or are at risk for heart disease. Playing 18 holes of golf without riding in a cart involves walking four to five miles, which easily meets the recommended daily step count of 10,000 steps. It also provides a chance to socialize with friends and to spend time in a relaxing natural environment, which may help lower stress.

The Mediterranean diet is touted for its health benefits, which include a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and potentially even improvements to the gut bacteria, which may reduce harmful inflammation inside the body. Making some simple changes to your current diet can help improve your health. These include switching to olive oil as the primary fat, eating more whole grains and less processed food and sugar and reducing red meat consumption. Whenever possible, base your daily diet on a base of vegetables, fruits and plant-based options.

There are a number of steps to take when starting an anti-inflammation diet, such as the Mediterranean diet. The steps boil down to some dos and don’ts. For example, don’t eat processed foods such as microwaveable dinners, hot dogs, white bread, dehydrated soups, baked goods, sugary cereals, processed meats, biscuits, and sauces. But do eat a diet of whole, unprocessed foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes (beans, lentils), fish, poultry, nuts, seeds, a little bit of low-fat dairy, olive oil, spices, and herbs.

What people choose to eat has a big impact on their cardiovascular health. The dietary habits of the nation as a whole also have a major effect on the country’s economic health. About 45% of the costs associated with heart disease, stroke, and diabetes is related to unhealthy diets. The dietary habits that appear to have the biggest effect are not eating enough nuts, seeds, and seafood omega-3 fatty acids. Among foods to avoid, sugary beverages and processed meats seem to contribute the most to higher costs. Each year, unhealthy diets cost the United States an average of about $300 per person in medical costs, which translates to $50 billion nationwide.

Just like aerobic exercise, targeted exercises to strengthen muscles throughout your body may also help stave off heart disease. Strength training helps burn calories and may help prevent harmful belly fat accumulation. Muscle tissue is more metabolically active, so it helps control blood sugar and lowers insulin resistance. That helps prevent type 2 diabetes, a major risk factor for heart disease. Strength training can be done with resistance bands, small hand weights, or weight machines.

People who drink three or more cups of tea per week may be less likely to experience heart-related problems than those who drink tea less frequently.