With February designated as Heart Month, it’s a good time to check in on the latest news and updates concerning heart disease. Unfortunately, the news continues to be worrisome when it comes to the incidence of heart disease in the US. As the leading cause of death among both men and women and across racial groups, every 37 seconds someone dies of heart disease in the US. And The Wall Street Journal (paywall) recently reported that heart disease is not only a disease of older adults: Rates of heart disease and stroke are also on the rise for those who are middle-aged, even among populations not typically prone to heart disease. The reasons? It’s conjecture, but they likely include the usual suspects: obesity, diabetes, stress, lack of exercise and high blood pressure.

In fact, these same culprits, among others, are likely responsible for another phenomenon: the difference between “heart age” and chronological age. It’s been estimated that US adults have hearts that appear to be, on average, seven years older than they should be. Between our diets, waistlines, and lack of exercise, we are literally accelerating the age of our hearts. And for women, new research suggests that the transition through menopause also seems to considerably heighten the risk of heart disease.

So, as usual, the question is what can you do to lower your risk? It seems each year, the advice is the same old same old: Watch your diet, cut out smoking and get moving, among other lifestyle modifications (check out some agebuzz resources to help with the reset). And the most recent advice to help you get those changes in motion? New research shows the value of a lower protein, plant-based diet to reduce your heart disease risks as well as the importance of keeping up muscle mass, once again underscoring the connection between fitness and heart health.