7 simple steps to protect both your heart and kidneys.

Seven simple steps to a healthy life, including maintaining healthy blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels, a healthy diet, a healthy body weight, as well as adequate exercise and not smoking.

A new study suggests that taking care of your heart may also benefit your kidneys.

Researchers tracked more than 14,800 adults aged 45-64, grouped by how well they adhered to the American Heart Association's recommendations for heart health.

These recommendations are known as the 7 Simple Steps to Life, and include maintaining healthy blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels, a healthy diet, a healthy body weight, as well as adequate exercise and not smoking.

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After an average follow-up of 22 years, one-third of participants who initially did not receive the recommended heart health advice had developed chronic kidney disease, compared to only 6.5% of participants who followed at least six of the recommended heart health tips.

Researchers found that while smoking, body fat, physical activity, blood pressure, and blood sugar were associated with an increased risk of kidney disease, cholesterol and diet were not.

This is the first study to show that perfectly healthy individuals who follow these seven life-saving recommendations have a reduced risk of developing kidney disease.

However, the study only demonstrated an association between lifestyle factors in these seven steps and the risk of kidney disease, not a causal relationship.

According to Health & Life