How Can I Prevent a Heart Attack?

Most heart attacks are caused by coronary artery disease (CAD). You can help prevent a heart attack by knowing about your risk factors for CAD and heart attack and taking action to lower your risks.

You can lower your risk of having a heart attack, even if you have already had a heart attack or are told that your chances of having a heart attack are high.

To prevent a heart attack, you will most likely need to make lifestyle changes. You may also need to get treatment for conditions that raise your risk.

Make Lifestyle Changes

You can lower your risk for CAD and a heart attack by making healthy lifestyle choices:

• Eat a healthy diet to prevent or reduce high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol, and maintain a healthy weight
• Don't Smoke
• Exercise as directed by your doctor
• Lose weight if you are overweight or obese

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
  • If you have high cholesterol, follow your doctor's advice about lowering your cholesterol. Take medications to lower your cholesterol as directed.
• High blood pressure
  • If you have high blood pressure, follow your doctor's advice about keeping your blood pressure under control. Take blood pressure medications as directed.
• High blood sugar (diabetes)
  • If you have diabetes, follow your doctor's advice about keeping your blood sugar levels under control. Take medications as directed.

For more information please visit the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.