Don’t leave it too late

Dr Hilary Jones tells MSN Him his tips on how men can ensure theyhave a healthy heart.

Looking after your heart is crucial, but bad habits such as smoking,excessive alcohol consumption and a love of fatty foods can all spelldisaster for our body's most important organ.

We've put together the top tips for a healthy heart, with a little helpfrom Dr Hilary Jones.

If you're the type of person who's always putting off starting a new exercise regime or giving up the cigarettes, time could well be running out.

"Even in their 20s, young men are already developing changes to heart muscle and vessels that supply the heart - changes which can lead to the development of hardened arteries and other life-threatening conditions," warns Dr Hilary.

"Everything gets more exaggerated as you get older - cholesterol build up becomes more of a problem, we become more sedentary and our reaction to stress is slower, and by continuing with unhealthy habits, you risk being too late to do anything to correct any problems - for example, it could be too late to stop hardening of the arteries or do operations on coronary arteries, for example, or you could already have developed diabetes."