Take Charge of Your Chances

A healthy lifestyle is important at any age. But your choices can make an even bigger difference after you turn 50. At that point, your heart may not handle physical activity and stress as well as it used to. It also may need a little more TLC. A few key decisions can give your heart that extra attention and lower your odds of a heart attack, heart disease, or stroke.

Eat Heart-Healthy

Certain foods have nutritional superpowers when it comes to your heart. These include fruits like berries and oranges; lean fish like salmon and mackerel; veggies like spinach, carrots, and tomatoes; nuts and seeds; oats; and beans. Work more of these into your diet, and your heart will be better for it.

Watch the Salt

Your body needs sodium, but as little as 500 milligrams per day is enough. You should have no more than 1,500 per day because too much sodium -- which mostly comes from salt -- can lead to high blood pressure and raise your chances of having a stroke or heart disease.  One good way to control how much you’re getting is to check the labels on packaged foods.

Replace Saturated Fats

They can raise your cholesterol and can cause fatty buildup around your arteries. Too much saturated fat can also make them harder and narrower. (Your doctor may call that atherosclerosis.) But a few small substitutions can make a big difference. For example, go with liquid vegetable oils over tropical oils, low-fat dairy products over the full-fat variety, and poultry or beans instead of red meat.

Get Moving

Regular exercise can help slow your heart rate, lower your blood pressure, and help oxygen move through your body. As little as 30 minutes of activity a day can make a big difference. Things like gardening or taking a brisk walk are good, easy options. You don’t even have to do the entire 30 minutes at once. Three activities of 10 minutes each work just as well.

Stay a Healthy Weight

It’s not unusual to put on some extra weight after you turn 50. But that can make your heart work extra hard.  Eating right, watching your calories, and getting regular exercise can go a long way toward shedding any added pounds and easing the pressure on your heart. Your doctor can help you find ways to slim down.

Quit Smoking

It can raise bad cholesterol, lower good cholesterol, make your arteries and blood thicker, and slow the flow of blood to parts of your body. But once you kick the habit, your heart and the rest of your body will start to recover. You may even feel better right away.

Drink in Moderation (Or Not at All)

Too much alcohol can lead to fatty buildup in your arteries. That can raise your odds of a heart attack or stroke. It also can lead to high blood pressure and other heart-related problems. It’s best for most of us to stop at one drink a day for women or two drinks a day for men. (A "drink" is 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of liquor.) But, depending on your health, even that much could cause problems. Talk with your doctor about what's right for you.

Ease Stress

Stress can be hard on your heart because it can contribute to high blood pressure. It can also affect your mental health and lead to bad habits like overeating, drinking too much, and being less active. To stay on an even keel, you could:

• Plan ahead and organize your day so you don’t have to rush.
• Go easy on yourself when something doesn’t go as planned.
• Enjoy a good laugh when possible, even by yourself.
• Reach out to a friend or family when you need a boost.

Sleep Well

If you don’t get enough shut-eye, your heart doesn’t get the rest it needs and your blood pressure could stay higher than it should.  Get good sleep by following a bedtime routine, staying away from late-night snacks and caffeinated drinks in the evening, and getting off your devices for a while before bed.

Manage Other Health Conditions

Taking care of your heart means taking care of issues that can cause problems for it. Those include diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and sleep disorders like sleep apnea. Follow your doctor’s treatment plans, and take any medication exactly as prescribed.

Keep an Eye on Your Numbers

Conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes can affect your heart without any noticeable symptoms. And your weight and cholesterol numbers can go up slowly over time. Those affect your heart, too. Get your annual physical. Talk to -- and listen to -- your doctor, especially when it comes to catching early signs of trouble and doing something about them.