Heart disease and stroke

What helps

Fatty Fish

• Linked to lower risk of heart disease — Benefit, grade B: Moderate
• Linked to lower risk of heart attack — Benefit, grade C: Limited
• Linked to lower risk of stroke — Benefit, grade C: Limited

Mediterranean Diet

• Lowers the risk of heart attacks and strokes — Benefit, grade B: Moderate
• Reduces the risk of dying from heart disease — Benefit, grade B: Moderate

Coenzyme Q10

• Reduces mortality and hospitalisation in chronic heart failure — Benefit, grade B: Moderate

Coffee

• Linked to a lower risk of heart disease and heart deaths — Benefit, grade B: Moderate
• Fewer recurrences of atrial fibrillation in people who drink coffee — Benefit, grade C: Limited

Salt

• Salt substitutes reduce strokes, heart attacks and deaths (higher-risk adults) — Benefit, grade B: Moderate

Red Yeast Rice

• Reduces repeat heart attacks and heart-related deaths after a heart attack — Benefit, grade B: Moderate

Magnesium

• Higher intake is linked to lower diabetes, stroke and heart failure risk — Benefit, grade B: Moderate

Sauna

• Helps the heart in heart failure — Benefit, grade C: Limited
• Linked to lower risk of dying from heart disease — Benefit, grade C: Limited
• Linked to lower risk of stroke — Benefit, grade C: Limited

Pet Ownership

• Linked to a lower risk of dying — Benefit, grade C: Limited

Olive Oil

• A Mediterranean diet with extra virgin olive oil lowered major heart events — Benefit, grade C: Limited

Nuts

• A Mediterranean diet including nuts lowered major heart events — Benefit, grade C: Limited
• Linked to lower risk of heart disease deaths — Benefit, grade C: Limited

Poultry

• Lowers heart disease risk when it replaces red meat — Benefit, grade C: Limited

Blueberries

• Linked to lower heart attack risk — Benefit, grade C: Limited

Fish Oil

• Eating fish lowers heart disease risk — Benefit, grade C: Limited

Mixed evidence

Fish Oil

• Lowers the risk of heart attacks — Mixed results, grade C: Limited
• Prevents heart attacks, strokes and other major cardiovascular events — Mixed results, grade C: Limited

Napping

• Good for your heart — Mixed results, grade C: Limited

Eggs

• Linked to lower stroke risk — Mixed results, grade C: Limited

Red Wine

• Linked to less heart disease — but genetic studies don't confirm it — Mixed results, grade C: Limited

Green Tea

• Linked to lower risk of death — Mixed results, grade C: Limited

Doesn't seem to help

Vitamin D

• Prevents heart attacks and strokes — No effect, grade A: Strong

Beetroot Juice

• Improves exercise capacity in heart, lung and metabolic disease — No effect, grade C: Limited

Eggs

• Up to one egg a day is not linked to heart disease or stroke — No effect, grade C: Limited

Sleep

• Catch-up sleep on weekends protects the heart and lengthens life — No effect, grade C: Limited

Risks and things that may make it worse

Fish Oil

• Raises the risk of irregular heartbeat (atrial fibrillation) — Harm, grade B: Moderate

Red Meat

• Raises cardiovascular disease risk — Harm, grade B: Moderate

Sleep

• Irregular sleep is linked to heart and blood sugar problems — Harm, grade C: Limited