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Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy, Happy Heart: Simple Steps to Achieving Long-term Cardiovascular Health
Want a longer, healthier, happier life? Start with healthy, happy heart. Mayo Clinic cardiologists give simple advice and actionable steps to help you lower your cardiovascular risk at any age and enjoy living well.
Heart disease is the number-one killer in the United States. Despite the latest advances in treatment, when it comes to your heart, top experts prevention is the best medicine. The good news is that it’s never too late — or too early — to lower your risk of heart attack and stroke. And it doesn’t have to be complicated.
Where do you start? Discover the keys to maximizing your heart health with this user-friendly manual. Based on the latest research and decades of clinical experience from 30+ cardiologists and other experts at the world-renowned Mayo Clinic, this book encourages a proactive, holistic approach that focuses on making positive changes before the appearance of heart disease. It breaks down the latest expertise — and how to tell fact from fiction — on key factors such as nutrition, exercise, stress management, the newest medications and even how sleep affects heart health. Full-color illustrations and infographics and an airy design with text call-outs help create an appealing, trade-oriented reading experience.
Included in the book are answers to many common questions, such What’s the difference between “good” and “bad” cholesterol? Will Ozempic really benefit my heart? Should I test my blood pressure at home? Is red wine good for me? What's the best type of exercise for the heart? Are seed oils really bad for health? What should I make of headlines about microplastics and heart health? What are the biggest risk factors for heart disease? In addition, the book offers simple steps you can put into action today, backed by compelling research that small changes really do add up. It even includes 20 recipes for heart-healthy meals to help make dietary changes easy and delicious. By focusing on preventive, everyday steps, Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy, Happy Heart shows that better heart health — and all its benefits — is within everyone’s reach.
Heart disease is the number-one killer in the United States. Despite the latest advances in treatment, when it comes to your heart, top experts prevention is the best medicine. The good news is that it’s never too late — or too early — to lower your risk of heart attack and stroke. And it doesn’t have to be complicated.
Where do you start? Discover the keys to maximizing your heart health with this user-friendly manual. Based on the latest research and decades of clinical experience from 30+ cardiologists and other experts at the world-renowned Mayo Clinic, this book encourages a proactive, holistic approach that focuses on making positive changes before the appearance of heart disease. It breaks down the latest expertise — and how to tell fact from fiction — on key factors such as nutrition, exercise, stress management, the newest medications and even how sleep affects heart health. Full-color illustrations and infographics and an airy design with text call-outs help create an appealing, trade-oriented reading experience.
Included in the book are answers to many common questions, such What’s the difference between “good” and “bad” cholesterol? Will Ozempic really benefit my heart? Should I test my blood pressure at home? Is red wine good for me? What's the best type of exercise for the heart? Are seed oils really bad for health? What should I make of headlines about microplastics and heart health? What are the biggest risk factors for heart disease? In addition, the book offers simple steps you can put into action today, backed by compelling research that small changes really do add up. It even includes 20 recipes for heart-healthy meals to help make dietary changes easy and delicious. By focusing on preventive, everyday steps, Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy, Happy Heart shows that better heart health — and all its benefits — is within everyone’s reach.
- GenresHealthNonfiction
241 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 19, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I enjoyed reading this book. It had a lot of good information, but at least the copy I had (an advanced copy) did not include the research studies that were referenced. There was no reference section at the back and no footnotes to validate the information/statistics quoted. This is a big failing for me. The other shortcoming for the book is that it recommends (or doesn't say to avoid) seed oils. Despite the research out there, the experts who evaluated the research for this book came away with the conclusion that seed oils are safe. When so many other truly safe alternatives exist, why take the chance? Just avoid seed oils.
It does have an index, which is nice for looking up specific information. It also has a few recipes that look good (and different than what I normally cook, which is always nice for getting me out of my cooking rut).
The book focusing on prevention at a time when conventional medicine is often focusing on treatment. It's refreshing to see an organization as well-known as Mayo trying to change treatment to prevention. It takes names like Mayo to accomplish this, since insurance companies think they own medicine. The book also addresses the shortcomings of BMI, which is very useful.
The book itself is well-written with good explanations of medical terms for the non-medical reader, but it also provides enough information to allow a medical professional to enjoy reading it. Some information is a little repetitive.
It does a great job of understanding each person has their own level of ability and that different circumstances limit each person's ability to make changes. We are each capable of different levels of change and the book meets you where you're at and gives ideas for each level. It encourages even little changes.
It does have an index, which is nice for looking up specific information. It also has a few recipes that look good (and different than what I normally cook, which is always nice for getting me out of my cooking rut).
The book focusing on prevention at a time when conventional medicine is often focusing on treatment. It's refreshing to see an organization as well-known as Mayo trying to change treatment to prevention. It takes names like Mayo to accomplish this, since insurance companies think they own medicine. The book also addresses the shortcomings of BMI, which is very useful.
The book itself is well-written with good explanations of medical terms for the non-medical reader, but it also provides enough information to allow a medical professional to enjoy reading it. Some information is a little repetitive.
It does a great job of understanding each person has their own level of ability and that different circumstances limit each person's ability to make changes. We are each capable of different levels of change and the book meets you where you're at and gives ideas for each level. It encourages even little changes.
May 28, 2026
Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy, Happy Heart by Dr Lerman, Dr Lopez-Jimenez, and Dr. Lara-Breitinger.
At the beginning of this year, I started the Mayo Clinic Diet for Heart Health. I was looking to expand on the knowledge I've been learning with the diet program, and this book was just what I was looking for. It's a reasonable length with easily digested information. While the focus of this book is heart health, it really covers your complete health from a sustainable change in lifestyle perspective. This book helps you to learn to make small changes that work for you over time. It also covers topics from setting appropriate goals for yourself, building healthy habits, what a heart-healthy diet looks like, and even includes important and often overlooked aspects like mental health, adequate sleep, and the impacts of microplastics and pesticides in our foods.
Cuts through a lot of the health-related noise out there on the internet with science and fact-based information. The content isn't necessarily revolutionary, but the way it's put together makes it very user-friendly and simple to understand.
4/5 stars. I was pleased with how easy this book was to read. Often, non-fiction health-related books can be tedious or textbook like, but with the suggested tasks (i.e. goal setting) and how concise the information was, it kept me engaged. Highly recommend for anyone looking to improve not just their heart health, but their overall health in general, especially if you're new to being more health conscious or confused about all the conflicting information available on the web.
Thank you to NetGalley, the authors, and Mayo Clinic Press for the opportunity to read the eARC. All opinions expressed are my own.
At the beginning of this year, I started the Mayo Clinic Diet for Heart Health. I was looking to expand on the knowledge I've been learning with the diet program, and this book was just what I was looking for. It's a reasonable length with easily digested information. While the focus of this book is heart health, it really covers your complete health from a sustainable change in lifestyle perspective. This book helps you to learn to make small changes that work for you over time. It also covers topics from setting appropriate goals for yourself, building healthy habits, what a heart-healthy diet looks like, and even includes important and often overlooked aspects like mental health, adequate sleep, and the impacts of microplastics and pesticides in our foods.
Cuts through a lot of the health-related noise out there on the internet with science and fact-based information. The content isn't necessarily revolutionary, but the way it's put together makes it very user-friendly and simple to understand.
4/5 stars. I was pleased with how easy this book was to read. Often, non-fiction health-related books can be tedious or textbook like, but with the suggested tasks (i.e. goal setting) and how concise the information was, it kept me engaged. Highly recommend for anyone looking to improve not just their heart health, but their overall health in general, especially if you're new to being more health conscious or confused about all the conflicting information available on the web.
Thank you to NetGalley, the authors, and Mayo Clinic Press for the opportunity to read the eARC. All opinions expressed are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
There is so much advice out there about what to do to maintain good health. The internet has a wealth of information, some valid, some theoretical, some fraudulent. There are fads, trends, conflicting information. This book, written by experts from the department of cardiovascular medicine at the Mayo Clinic presents research-based, scientifically proven recommendations for a healthy heart.
Whether you’re just beginning to be concerned about your heart health and looking for practical advice to prevent cardiac disease, or you’re already well-versed in healthy habits, this book is a valuable resource. Even for those who are familiar with healthy cardiac practices, there are still new insights and reminders to be gained. Best of all, proceeds from the sale of this book support medical research and education at Mayo Clinic.
There are even some recipes here. Between the fact that I hate cooking and have dietary restrictions, they didn’t really appeal to me. I would have preferred some very simple ideas. However, those people who enjoy cooking and want new healthy recipes will welcome these ideas.
Instead of wasting time scrolling through social media for superficial and questionable tips on heart health, consider reading this comprehensive and professional, research-based book.
Thanks to @NetGalley and #MayoClinicPress for the DRC.
Whether you’re just beginning to be concerned about your heart health and looking for practical advice to prevent cardiac disease, or you’re already well-versed in healthy habits, this book is a valuable resource. Even for those who are familiar with healthy cardiac practices, there are still new insights and reminders to be gained. Best of all, proceeds from the sale of this book support medical research and education at Mayo Clinic.
There are even some recipes here. Between the fact that I hate cooking and have dietary restrictions, they didn’t really appeal to me. I would have preferred some very simple ideas. However, those people who enjoy cooking and want new healthy recipes will welcome these ideas.
Instead of wasting time scrolling through social media for superficial and questionable tips on heart health, consider reading this comprehensive and professional, research-based book.
Thanks to @NetGalley and #MayoClinicPress for the DRC.
May 23, 2026
This book is well written, easy to read, and has great charts. The table of contents and the index make it easy to find topics you may want to review.
I paid extra attention to Chapter One because I have hypertension. It is well controlled, but I was seeking more information. This book tells you how many times and when to take your blood pressure. It explains the difference between Systolic and Diastolic and includes a chart showing five levels of blood pressure. You can determine by the chart where your result lies, and when you are in a crisis
The same attention is paid to explaining cholesterol. And there is a great discussion of body mass. I love the illustration of why it is preferable to have a pear-shaped body than an apple-shaped bo
An important part of the book is all the sections on the effects of stress on the body. Stress is a major concern for me. A chart shows the effects of stress on various parts of the body, a section on managing stress, how to know when you need to seek help, and many tips on dealing with stress.
I reviewed the section on foods that are great for improving my heart health and will now include more of them in my diet. There is also a small section with recipes that boost heart health.
I paid extra attention to Chapter One because I have hypertension. It is well controlled, but I was seeking more information. This book tells you how many times and when to take your blood pressure. It explains the difference between Systolic and Diastolic and includes a chart showing five levels of blood pressure. You can determine by the chart where your result lies, and when you are in a crisis
The same attention is paid to explaining cholesterol. And there is a great discussion of body mass. I love the illustration of why it is preferable to have a pear-shaped body than an apple-shaped bo
An important part of the book is all the sections on the effects of stress on the body. Stress is a major concern for me. A chart shows the effects of stress on various parts of the body, a section on managing stress, how to know when you need to seek help, and many tips on dealing with stress.
I reviewed the section on foods that are great for improving my heart health and will now include more of them in my diet. There is also a small section with recipes that boost heart health.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Clínica Mayo nunca decepciona. En mis años de universidad, investigar en su web sobre las diversas patologías siempre era mi sitio confiable, podía encontrar recursos de nutrición y de alimentos permitidos. Ahora que tengo uno de sus libros lo noto más completo que en su sitio web. Vienen hasta recetas y plan nutricional. Además de educación nutricional. Como parte del sector salud y como nutrióloga, recomiendo demasiado este libro. Internet está lleno de consejos sobre como mantener una buena salud pero este compendio de información dentro del libro puede ser de utilidad para la salud del corazón y para cuando se busca prevenir enfermedades cardíacas. La venta de este libro apoya con los recursos obtenidos a la investigación y formación médica de clínica Mayo. Lo disfruté mucho y me recordó a mi época universitaria. Gracias a Netgalley por permitirme leer este maravilloso ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book provides very concise guidelines for heart healthy living.
The initial sections cover the basic risk factors including obesity, BMI, belly fat etc. Research suggests that managing preventable risk factors such as high BP, high cholesterol, smoking and an inactive lifestyle may reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke by more than 80%. Sleep and relaxation play a vital role in healthy heart health as well. There is useful information on exercise, diet and lifestyle.
The book starts with the basics and builds well with more detail. It has good illustrations to back the narrative. It ends with heart healthy recipes - while multi-cuisine they are still limited.
Overall, an informative book.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher Mayo Clinic Press and the author for a free electronic review copy.
The initial sections cover the basic risk factors including obesity, BMI, belly fat etc. Research suggests that managing preventable risk factors such as high BP, high cholesterol, smoking and an inactive lifestyle may reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke by more than 80%. Sleep and relaxation play a vital role in healthy heart health as well. There is useful information on exercise, diet and lifestyle.
The book starts with the basics and builds well with more detail. It has good illustrations to back the narrative. It ends with heart healthy recipes - while multi-cuisine they are still limited.
Overall, an informative book.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher Mayo Clinic Press and the author for a free electronic review copy.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews