Looking after your heart starts with a few checks and changes you can keep doing. You do not need to become an athlete before asking about your blood pressure, cholesterol or family history.
Check what you cannot feel
High blood pressure and high cholesterol can be present without obvious symptoms. Ask your GP or a suitable pharmacy about checks and bring a list of your medicines. Tell the clinician about close relatives who developed heart disease at a young age. A wearable's reassuring reading does not rule out heart disease.
Choose the change with the most useful support
If you smoke, ask about a stop-smoking service. If moving more is the next step, choose something suitable for your current ability and build gradually. Compare foods you eat regularly for saturated fat and salt rather than buying products labelled heart healthy. If a clinician recommends medicine, discuss its benefits and risks; food and exercise changes do not automatically replace it.
Questions worth taking with you
- Which checks do I need, and how do the results fit together?
- Does my family history change the plan?
- What activity is appropriate given my symptoms or conditions?
- What is the next review date, and who do I contact about side effects?
- If a suggested change is difficult because of money, pain or caring responsibilities, what is a realistic alternative?
Act on symptoms, not just numbers
Call 999 for sudden chest pain that does not go away, especially with sweating, breathlessness, nausea or pain spreading to an arm, jaw or back. Do not drive yourself or wait for SHIFT to reply. New or worsening symptoms need appropriate medical assessment even if your last blood test was reassuring. This page supports a conversation about prevention; it does not diagnose chest pain.