Dr. Gupta’s Guide to Reduce Your Heart-Disease Risk

Get Plenty of Sleep

Sleep deprivation is a contributor to heart disease, and Gupta is skeptical of those who claim to find five hours of shut-eye per night ample.

“The sweet spot for most of us is seven to nine hours,” he says. “Even naps or changes of activity—like going from brain surgery to writing, in my case—count as a form of rest,” he says.