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Short answer How to lower your heart-attack risk Common questions Related questions SourcesMost heart attacks are prevented by controlling blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar, avoiding tobacco, staying active, and taking any medicine your clinician prescribes.
How much effort each area needs depends on your numbers, your age, and whether you already have heart disease or diabetes. If you have had a heart attack, a stent, or a stroke, prevention usually includes daily medicine such as a statin and sometimes aspirin, and stopping those on your own raises risk. If you have not had one, the plan is built around your blood pressure reading, your LDL cholesterol, your A1C, and whether you smoke. Practical habits that help: about 150 minutes a week of moderate activity, cooking with less salt and less saturated fat, more vegetables, fruit, and whole grains, 7 or more hours of sleep, and limiting alcohol. Ask a clinician before starting daily aspirin, since it is no longer recommended for most people without known heart disease.
How to lower your heart-attack risk
Common questions
how to prevent a heart attack
Prevention comes down to a few things done consistently. Know your blood pressure, LDL cholesterol, and blood sugar, and treat them to the targets your clinician sets. Quit smoking and avoid vaping, since tobacco is one of the strongest risk factors and quitting starts lowering risk within a year. Aim for about 150 minutes a week of moderate activity, eat more vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and less salt and saturated fat, and get 7 or more hours of sleep. Take prescribed statins or blood pressure medicine daily, even when you feel fine. Do not start daily aspirin on your own; ask a clinician first. Call 911 for chest pressure, shortness of breath, or arm, jaw, or back pain.