How can I reduce my risk of heart attack?

How to Reduce Your Risk of Heart Attack

To reduce your risk of heart attack, adopt a heart-healthy lifestyle that includes regular physical activity, a healthy diet pattern, weight management, and avoiding tobacco use. 1

Physical Activity Recommendations

Physical activity is a cornerstone of heart attack prevention:

• Aerobic exercise: Engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week (30 minutes, 5 days per week) or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity per week 1
• Resistance training: Add dynamic or isometric resistance training 2-3 times per week 1
• Activity pattern: Perform exercise in sessions of at least 10 minutes, spread throughout the week 1

Physical activity directly improves blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and overall cardiovascular health with a dose-response relationship - more activity generally provides greater benefits 1, 2.

Dietary Recommendations

Follow a heart-healthy eating pattern:

• Recommended diet patterns: DASH diet, Mediterranean diet, or AHA diet 1
• Foods to emphasize:
  • Vegetables, fruits, and whole grains
  • Low-fat dairy products
  • Poultry, fish, legumes
  • Nuts and non-tropical vegetable oils 1
• Foods to limit:
  • Sodium (aim for ≤2g per day) 1
  • Sweets and sugar-sweetened beverages (limit to <10% of energy intake) 1
  • Red meats
  • Foods high in saturated fat and cholesterol 1

Weight Management

• Target: Achieve and maintain a BMI between 20-25 kg/m² 1
• Waist circumference: Keep below 94 cm (37 inches) for men and below 80 cm (31.5 inches) for women 1

Tobacco and Alcohol

• Tobacco: Completely avoid smoking and secondhand smoke exposure 1
• Alcohol: Limit consumption to less than 100g of pure alcohol per week, though preferably avoid alcohol altogether for best health outcomes 1

Know Your Numbers and Risk Factors

Monitor and control these key risk factors:

• Blood pressure: Optimal is <120/80 mmHg 1
• Cholesterol levels:
  • Total cholesterol: <200 mg/dL
  • LDL (bad) cholesterol: <100 mg/dL
  • HDL (good) cholesterol: >50 mg/dL
  • Triglycerides: <150 mg/dL 1
• Blood sugar: Keep diabetes well-controlled if you have it 1

Important Considerations

• Consistency matters: The combined effect of multiple healthy lifestyle factors can reduce CHD risk by up to 62% 3
• Benefits persist even with medication: Even if you're taking medications for high blood pressure or cholesterol, healthy lifestyle changes can still prevent up to 57% of coronary events 3
• Start now: Adopting just two additional healthy lifestyle factors can lower your risk by 27% 3
• Recognize symptoms: Be aware of heart attack warning signs including chest pain (radiating to left arm or neck), shortness of breath, sweating, nausea, and fatigue 4

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

• All-or-nothing thinking: Even modest improvements in lifestyle can significantly reduce risk
• Focusing on a single factor: The greatest benefits come from addressing multiple risk factors simultaneously 5, 3
• Inconsistency: Sustainable, long-term lifestyle changes are more effective than short-term efforts
• Ignoring medication: If prescribed medications for hypertension or high cholesterol, lifestyle changes should complement, not replace, medication use 3

By implementing these evidence-based lifestyle modifications, you can substantially reduce your risk of heart attack and improve your overall cardiovascular health.