BAS Health Series: Healthy Body Functions, Article 2 of 5

Heart disease is the #1 killer in the world. It claims more lives every year than all cancers combined¹. For both men and women over 50, the risk rises sharply — in fact, more than 70% of all cardiovascular deaths occur after the age of 55².

This isn’t a statistic to scare anyone; it’s a reminder that our hearts deserve attention, respect, and care. My wife and I are both in our 50s and I’m very heart conscious. Every medical professional I’ve spoken to says the best time to protect your heart is long before there’s a problem. 

What Is Your Heart and How Does It Work?

Your heart is an extraordinary muscle about the size of your fist. It beats roughly 100,000 times per day, pumping oxygen-rich blood through about 60,000 miles of blood vessels³. That’s enough to circle the globe twice!

Each beat begins with an electrical signal that travels through the heart’s conduction system, ensuring every chamber contracts in perfect rhythm⁴. This automatic precision delivers life to every cell in your body — whether you’re sprinting up a hill or simply sitting still.

But here’s the truth: This system only runs as well as you maintain it. 

What Does It Mean to Improve Heart Health?

When you strengthen your heart, you improve more than your circulation — you boost your entire quality of life.

• Increased endurance: A strong heart pumps more blood with less effort, giving you greater stamina.

• Efficient oxygen use: Healthy vessels deliver nutrients more effectively to muscles and organs.

• Lower blood pressure: Reduces strain on arteries, kidneys, and the heart itself.

• Better longevity: A healthy cardiovascular system keeps every other system strong.
  

Caring for your heart isn’t just about avoiding a future heart attack, it’s about living the next 30-40 years with energy, focus, and vitality. Prevention is the best investment you can make.

Issues and Diseases That Can Occur

• Coronary artery disease (CAD): Plaque buildup narrows arteries and restricts blood flow.

• Hypertension: Chronic high blood pressure wears down artery walls.

• Arrhythmias: Irregular heart rhythms can cause fatigue, dizziness, or even stroke.

• Heart failure: The heart weakens and can’t meet the body’s demand for oxygen⁵.
  

Did You Know? In the U.S. alone, someone dies from cardiovascular disease every 33 seconds⁶.

Simple Things You Can Do Every Day to Improve Heart Health

• Stay active: Exercise strengthens your heart muscle and improves circulation. You don’t need a gym — walking, swimming, or cycling for 30 minutes a day makes a measurable difference. Just 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week can reduce your risk of heart disease by 30%⁷.

• Eat smart: Choose whole foods over processed ones. Focus on vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, nuts, and omega-3-rich fish. Avoid trans fats and excess sodium. Every 10 grams of added daily fiber lowers cardiovascular risk by 10%⁸.

• Manage stress: Chronic stress floods the body with cortisol and adrenaline, which constrict arteries and raise blood pressure. People under high stress have twice the risk of developing heart disease⁹.

• Stay hydrated: Water keeps your blood at the right viscosity so your heart doesn’t have to work as hard. Mild dehydration can temporarily raise heart rate and reduce circulation efficiency¹⁰.

• Prioritize sleep: Deep sleep lowers blood pressure and restores heart function. Getting fewer than six hours of sleep per night raises your heart disease risk by 48%¹¹.
  
  

Things You Should Avoid That Damage Your Heart

• Smoking: Nicotine constricts blood vessels, reducing oxygen flow and increasing blood pressure almost instantly. Over time, smoking damages the endothelium — the delicate inner lining of your arteries — making them more prone to plaque buildup and clot formation¹³.

• Excess alcohol: Moderate drinking can fit into a healthy lifestyle, but excess consumption raises triglycerides, causes irregular heartbeats (atrial fibrillation), and weakens the heart muscle itself — a condition called alcoholic cardiomyopathy¹⁴. The liver also converts excess alcohol into fat, contributing to obesity and metabolic stress, which directly strain the heart.

• Sedentary lifestyle: Long periods of sitting decrease circulation and weaken the large muscles that help pump blood back toward your heart. This leads to higher blood sugar, elevated cholesterol, and increased inflammation — the perfect recipe for atherosclerosis¹⁵. Even light activity like stretching, walking, or standing for a few minutes each hour can reverse much of that damage.

• High-sodium diets: Too much sodium makes your body retain water, which increases blood volume and puts extra pressure on your arteries and heart. Chronic overconsumption also triggers hormonal changes that stiffen blood vessel walls and lead to left ventricular hypertrophy — an enlargement of the heart’s main pumping chamber¹⁶. That “bloated” feeling after salty foods isn’t just discomfort — it’s your heart literally working harder to push thicker blood through tighter vessels.

• Ignoring early symptoms: Many heart conditions progress silently. Early signs like mild chest pressure, shortness of breath, or unusual fatigue can indicate restricted blood flow or early-stage arrhythmia¹⁷. Detecting these early allows for simple interventions — lifestyle changes, medication, or stress management — before irreversible damage occurs.
  
  

Why This Matters

Heart disease is the number one killer in the world — but it doesn’t have to be. Most of what leads to heart failure, stroke, and high blood pressure isn’t fate, it’s habit. That’s the part that gives us all hope. We can build unhealthy habits over time or we can build healthy ones.

Now that I’m in my 50s, I see health differently. It’s not just about numbers on a chart — it’s about the life inside those numbers. I want to walk further, breathe easier, and live long enough to experience every milestone feeling my best.

The heart doesn’t ask for perfection. It just needs consistency, care, and time. Every step, every healthy meal, every good night of sleep is an investment in the life you want to keep living.

That’s why this message matters to everyone reading it. Whether you’re in your 30s or 70s, it’s never too early or too late to make your heart stronger. 

Healthy Core Body Functions Series
By Ken York, President of Benefit Airship

At Benefit Airship, our passion is helping members get the best healthcare possible. We’re endlessly curious about what makes the body thrive—and we love uncovering insights that make health simpler to understand and easier to manage. Whenever we find something worth sharing, we share it to empower healthier, more informed lives.

This series will explore five essential body systems—the brain, heart, immune, gastrointestinal, and nervous systems—and offer practical tools for improving your overall well-being. I’ll share science, tips, and inspiration for taking small, meaningful steps toward a stronger, healthier you.

Sources

1. World Health Organization, Cardiovascular Diseases Fact Sheet

2. European Society of Cardiology, Age and Heart Disease Risk Statistics (2023)

3. American Heart Association, How the Heart Works

4. Cleveland Clinic, Electrical System of the Heart

5. Mayo Clinic, Heart Conditions and Complications

6. CDC, Heart Disease Facts (2025)

7. Harvard Medical School, Exercise and Cardiovascular Risk

8. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Dietary Fiber and Heart Health

9. European Heart Journal, Psychological Stress and Cardiovascular Disease

10. National Library of Medicine, Hydration and Blood Pressure Regulation

11. Sleep Foundation, Sleep Duration and Heart Disease Risk

12. World Heart Federation, Global Burden of Cardiovascular Disease Report (2024)