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How is Your Heart Health?

Consider the importance of heart disease risk factors, essential screenings, and ways to improve your heart health every day.

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Updated:

March 27, 2026

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Senior couple standing in farm field Photo credit: dolgachov / bigstockphoto.com

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Your heart is one of your body's greatest tools for maintaining an active life, but how often do you think about whether it is in optimal condition? It can be easy to overlook the work of your heart to pump blood throughout your body to keep you moving well throughout the day. While we may only think about our heart health after experiencing a problem, there is much we can do to prevent many types of heart disease. So, let's talk more about how you can care for your heart, so that your heart can take care of you.

What is Cardiovascular Disease?

Cardiovascular disease is a term that describes all diseases that affect the heart and blood vessels, according to the American Heart Association (AHA, n.d.). Cardiovascular disease includes various conditions related to atherosclerosis or plaque buildup in the arteries. This plaque buildup causes narrowing of the arteries and can lead to a heart attack or stroke. Other heart disease conditions include heart failure, arrhythmia (abnormal heartbeat pattern), and heart valve problems.

Who is at Risk?

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States (AHA, 2025). People who have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes, are overweight, or who smoke, have an increased risk of heart disease. The good news is that you can make lifestyle changes to reduce these risk factors.

There are a few risk factors that you cannot change, like getting older, being male gender, and family heredity. Even though heart attack risk increases for post-menopausal women, men still have a greater risk. If you fall into any of these categories, making lifestyle changes is even more critical. Since increasing age is a risk factor, taking action now, at any age, is important. This message is key for those at higher risk, such as farmers.

You might be surprised to learn that male farmers over 45 years of age have an even higher risk of cardiovascular disease compared to their non-farming neighbors who are the same age (Desai et al., 2022). Researchers investigated the reasons for this increased risk and noted that farmers may mistakenly think they have a lifestyle that is active enough to prevent heart disease, or they may not acknowledge that they can have a fatal heart attack.

The same researchers note that the traditional farming lifestyle has changed over time and contributes to specific risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Farming was a more physically active lifestyle in the past, but machinery and technology have reduced the amount of manual labor. Farmers also experience high stress levels and may not reach out for support. Additionally, they work long days, have little spare time, and may have less access to healthcare and educational resources. The bottom line is that everyone, including farmers, should pay attention to their heart health. Start by learning about heart health screenings.

Heart Health Screening

I hope this information has convinced you to get your heart checked, whether you farm or not. There are a variety of screening methods, and your healthcare provider can help find the right one for you. Heart health screenings are sometimes offered at wellness fairs and events, and these are excellent opportunities to get basic information on your risk. Here are a few of the heart health screening methods that are important for everyone:

Blood pressure check
Weight or waist circumference measurement
Blood sugar (glucose) test
Cholesterol test
Diet and physical activity review

Your provider can use information from these screenings to calculate your risk of cardiovascular disease. They may recommend additional testing, like an electrocardiogram or a stress test, or they may continue to follow your baseline numbers on future tests. These screenings are a good starting point to assess your risk and track progress when you make lifestyle changes.

Love Your Heart Every Day

There are many ways to improve your heart health, but you can't change everything immediately. Think about making small changes slowly – these add up over time. Here are just a few ideas to get started:

Increase healthy food choices. Add more vegetables and fruit to your meals. Eat more whole grains (choose oatmeal instead of a white flour bagel). Select a variety of healthy protein foods such as beans, nuts, fish, skinless poultry, and lean meats. Limit sodium, added sugars, and saturated fat.
Move more. Find ways to add a little more exercise to your day. Start by taking a daily family walk and work towards a brisk pace that gets your heart beating faster, and do resistance or weight training a few days every week.
Manage stress. Seek out coping strategies that work for you. Try breathing techniques, journaling, or talking with a friend.
Take medications. If your provider has prescribed medications for managing your blood pressure, blood glucose, or cholesterol, it is essential to take these according to the instructions.

To guide you through these lifestyle changes, Penn State Extension offers a 12-week email-based program, "A Journey to a Healthier Heart," at no charge. Sign up today and take good care of your heart health!