Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. According to recent statistics from the American Heart Association, 801,000 Americans died of cardiovascular disease in 2013, with more than 370,000 of those deaths occurring in patients with heart disease. About 750,000 people suffered a heart attack in 2013. Statistically, men and women in their 40s have a 1 in 5 chance of experiencing heart failure in their lifetime. The 7 Tips for Healthy Living was developed primarily by the AHA to alert the public to the need for improved public health education through lifestyle changes. Previous studies have shown that these seven improvements can reduce the population’s risk of heart attack and stroke. The key elements are: 1. Effective control of blood pressure: Keeping blood pressure within normal limits reduces the stress on the heart, kidneys and arteries; 2. Control cholesterol: High cholesterol leads to the formation of plaque in the blood vessels, which can block the arteries and lead to heart disease and stroke; 3. Lower blood sugar: Most of the food we eat is converted to blood sugar to store energy. Excessive blood sugar impairs the functioning of the heart, kidneys, eyes, nerves, etc.; 4. Be physically active: Keeping up with your daily physical activity and exercise and increases the length and quality of your life; 5. Eat better: A heart-healthy diet makes you feel good about yourself and is good for the health of your organism; 6. Lose weight: Maintaining a normal body weight means less stress on your organism’s heart, lungs, blood vessels, and bones; 7. Quit smoking: Smokers have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. Researchers led by Dr. Matthew Nayor, a cardiology researcher at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston Researchers analyzed data from the Framingham Offspring Study to assess the relationship between the seven recommendations above and heart failure. The researchers conducted a follow-up survey of 3,201 people with an average age of 59 years and an average length of follow-up of 12.3 years. During this time, 188 participants developed heart failure. The researchers found that for every 1 point higher on the 7 life health scores, people had a 23% lower risk of developing heart failure. People who scored in the middle third had a nearly 50 percent lower risk of heart failure than those who scored in the bottom third. The top 1/3 of the population with the highest score had an even lower risk of heart failure. According to Dr. Vanessa Xanthakis, Associate Professor of Medicine and Biostatistics at Boston University, although people are aware of how important a healthy lifestyle is for their health, many don’t take any action. This study points to the importance of a healthy lifestyle. The researchers also found that poor heart health protection can lead to changes in the normal structure of the heart and lead to myocardial infarction, cardiomyopathy, high blood pressure or heart valve disease. Limitations of the study include the fact that most of the participants were Caucasian and of European descent, and that the researchers only assessed the participants’ seven Healthy Living Scores at the beginning of the study. Dr. Nayor hopes that in the future, all people will adopt the 7 Healthy Lifestyle Scores to help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke and future development of heart failure.