ZOE Science & Nutrition

How to beat heart disease: 8 habits you must fix | Dr. Nour Makarem


Listen Later

Heart disease is the world’s biggest killer—and it often strikes without warning. It’s responsible for around 1 in 5 deaths in the US. While these figures are deeply worrying, heart disease is not inevitable. 

Decades of research have unearthed many of the risk factors associated with heart health, like poor diet or a sedentary lifestyle. In this episode, Dr. Nour Makarem outlines the latest scientific discoveries in this field and unveils some less-familiar risk factors. Drawing from large-scale population data and the latest wearable tech, she uncovers what makes heart disease so hard to spot, and what we can do today to prevent it. 

Nour is a cardiovascular epidemiologist at Columbia University, whose research focuses on how our behaviors—like sleep, stress, and daily rhythms—impact heart disease risk. Her research has helped shape the American Heart Association’s Essential Eight guide to heart health.


Unwrap the truth about your food 👉 ⁠Get the ZOE app 

🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily 30+

*Naturally high in copper which contributes to normal energy yielding metabolism and the normal function of the immune system

Follow ZOE on Instagram.


Timecodes

00:00 What is heart health?
01:50 Can poor sleep make you age faster?
03:25 What is heart disease?
06:01 Why high blood pressure is called the ‘silent killer’
07:44 Heart disease is the leading cause of death, but it’s highly preventable
08:54 How good lifestyle choices can add an extra decade of healthy life
10:32 Good heart health can make you biologically 6 years younger
12:19 The 6 pillars of good sleep you’ve never heard of
13:54 The shocking sleep habit that can double your risk of heart disease
15:02 How much can your sleep schedule vary before it becomes a risk?
16:19 Why how you feel about your sleep is a key health metric
19:43 The surprising link between not sleeping enough and gaining weight
22:02 Are sleep tracking devices actually helpful?
24:19 It's never too late to improve your heart health, even with bad genes
27:32 The best time to eat breakfast for a healthier heart
32:20 The American Heart Association's 8 essential habits for a healthy heart
33:39 The recommended amount of exercise you need per week
34:17 Is vaping a risk for your heart?
36:30 The growing health crisis almost 40% of people are facing
37:54 Cholesterol isn't the only number that predicts your heart attack risk
39:50 Why sleeping in is also bad for your heart health
40:55 Avoid these stimulants before bed for better quality sleep
42:12 The single most surprising risk factor for your heart


📚Books by our ZOE Scientists

The Food For Life Cookbook

Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati

Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector


Free resources from ZOE

Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition

Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks 


Mentioned in today's episode

  • Redefining Cardiovascular Health to Include Sleep: Prospective Associations With Cardiovascular Disease in the MESA Sleep Study.

  • Multidimensional Sleep Health Is Associated with Cardiovascular Disease Prevalence and Cardiometabolic Health in US Adults.

  • Variability in Daily Eating Patterns and Eating Jetlag Are Associated With Worsened Cardiometabolic Risk Profiles in the American Heart Association Go Red for Women Strategically Focused Research Network


    Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here.

    Episode transcripts are available here.

    ...more
    View all episodesView all episodes
    Download on the App Store

    ZOE Science & NutritionBy ZOE

    • 4.6
    • 4.6
    • 4.6
    • 4.6
    • 4.6

    4.6

    1,551 ratings


    More shows like ZOE Science & Nutrition

    View all
    Inside Health by BBC Radio 4

    Inside Health

    86 Listeners

    The Liz Earle Wellbeing Show by Liz Earle

    The Liz Earle Wellbeing Show

    270 Listeners

    The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett by DOAC

    The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett

    8,909 Listeners

    The Doctor's Kitchen Podcast by Dr Rupy Aujla

    The Doctor's Kitchen Podcast

    642 Listeners

    Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee by Dr Rangan Chatterjee: GP & Author

    Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee

    3,935 Listeners

    The Proof with Simon Hill by Live better for longer

    The Proof with Simon Hill

    2,625 Listeners

    The Dr. Hyman Show by Dr. Mark Hyman

    The Dr. Hyman Show

    9,271 Listeners

    The Wellness Scoop by The Wellness Scoop

    The Wellness Scoop

    1,327 Listeners

    Food For Thought by Rhiannon Lambert

    Food For Thought

    205 Listeners

    Sliced Bread by BBC Radio 4

    Sliced Bread

    149 Listeners

    The Dr Louise Newson Podcast by Dr Louise Newson

    The Dr Louise Newson Podcast

    246 Listeners

    Huberman Lab by Scicomm Media

    Huberman Lab

    29,216 Listeners

    Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley by BBC Radio 4

    Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley

    202 Listeners

    Begin Again with Davina McCall by Begin Again

    Begin Again with Davina McCall

    541 Listeners

    What's Up Docs? by BBC Radio 4

    What's Up Docs?

    112 Listeners