From diet to weight, here are the 8 key factors and habits that predict your heart health, according to doctors

Sarinya Pinngam / EyeEm / Getty Images

• Your lifestyle and overall health play a major role in how healthy your heart is, according to updated guidelines.
• Factors like diet, exercise, cholesterol, and blood sugar can influence your risk of heart attack or stroke.

Having a healthy heart is can help you live a longer, happier life by preventing problems like heart attack and stroke as you age. Eight factors can help calculate how healthy your heart is, according to the American Heart Association's (AHA) updated guidelines, published June 29 in the AHA journal Circulation.

Only about one in five Americans (20%) has good cardiovascular health, according to the guidelines, written by a group of doctors on behalf of the AHA.

But the AHA guidelines can help you assess your own heart health, and see how you might develop healthier habits, based on factors like diet, exercise, sleep, smoking status, and other health measurements.

And healthy habits are often linked, so making a healthier choice in one area can have a positive effect on other factors and your overall health.