How Can a Heart Attack Be Prevented?
Lowering your risk factors for
coronary
artery disease (CAD) can help you prevent a heart attack. (See "Who Is At Risk for a Heart Attack?") Even if
you already have CAD, you can still take steps to lower your risk of heart
attack.
Reducing the risk of heart attack usually means
making healthy lifestyle choices. You also may need treatment for medical
conditions that raise your risk.
Healthy Lifestyle Choices
Healthy lifestyle choices to help prevent heart
attack include:
- Following a low-fat diet rich in fruits and
vegetables. Pay careful attention to the amounts and types of fat in your diet.
Lower your salt intake. These changes can help lower
high
blood pressure and
high
blood cholesterol.
- Losing weight if you're
overweight
or obese.
- Quitting smoking.
- Doing physical activity to improve heart fitness.
Ask your doctor how much and what kinds of physical activity are safe for you.
Treat Related Conditions
In addition to making lifestyle changes, you can
help prevent heart attacks by treating conditions you have that make a heart
attack more likely:
- High blood cholesterol. You may need medicine to
lower your cholesterol if diet and exercise aren't enough.
- High blood pressure. You may need medicine to
keep your blood pressure under control.
- Diabetes (high blood sugar). If you have
diabetes, control your blood sugar levels through diet and physical activity
(as your doctor recommends). If needed, take medicine as prescribed.
Have an Emergency Action Plan
Make sure that you have an
emergency action
plan in case you or someone else in your family has a heart attack. This is
especially important if you're at high risk or have already had a heart attack.
Talk with your doctor about the signs and symptoms
of heart attack, when you should call 911, and steps you can take
while waiting for medical help to arrive. |