How to Reduce Your Chances of a Heart Attack

Atherosclerosis is a condition in which cholesterol and other substances build up in the artery walls to form plaque. When plaque builds up enough to close off the artery, and therefore the blood supply to the heart, a heart attack results.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Food/exercise Journals
• Stress Relief Products
• Black Teas
• Green Tea
• Blood Pressure Monitors
• Heart Rate Monitors
• Scales

1. Check your cholesterol and blood pressure levels. High blood pressure or cholesterol can put you at greater risk for heart disease.

2. Watch your diet and weight to keep cholesterol and blood pressure levels down. Avoid foods high in cholesterol and saturated fat.

3. Stop smoking. Smoking speeds up the development of atherosclerosis by damaging the artery walls, which allows cholesterol deposits to develop.

4. Exercise regularly to help prevent a heart attack and increase your chances of surviving one.

5. Reduce stress.

6. Limit caffeine and alcohol consumption.

7. Evaluate whether other conditions put you at higher risk for heart disease. Hypercholesterolemia, high triglyceride levels, low-density lipoproteins and diabetes may add to your risk of a heart attack.

Tips & Warnings

• The American Heart Association recommends 30 to 60 minutes of aerobic exercise, three or four times a week. Consult with your health care provider before beginning an exercise program.
• A 1999 Harvard study concluded that drinking a single cup of black or green tea every day greatly lowers the risk of a heart attack. The tea contains flavonoids, which act as antioxidants, thereby reducing the chance of a heart attack by as much as one-fourth.
• Recent studies have shown that meditation may decrease the risk of heart disease, possibly because the resulting stress relief may promote the body's self-repair system to thin the fatty buildup on artery walls.
• If you have any questions or concerns, contact a physician or other health care professional before engaging in any activity related to health and diet. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment.

Who Can Help Sponsored

• Brain Vs. Stomach! A Food Fight You Can Win!
• How to Lose 30+lbs Guaranteed. Try it Free.

[stefyspeak]

on 9/17/2009 Excellent article!5*

[brate]

on 9/6/2009 In the cases of heart attack and cardiac arrest, or any other heart shocks, time sets to be the most crucial factor for the survival of the patient. Sometimes, a little knowledge regarding the immediate actions to be taken may help your near and dear ones to survive in such incidents. Keith Churchwell has extraordinarily explained the pros and cons while handling patient suffering immediate heart attack or cardiac arrest. The response a person takes to treat a victim decides the probability of his/her survival. Its been my personal experience fighting to survive against a heart attack. A quick recognization of your bodily responses may increase your chances of survival. Because of having many heart problems, I was enrolled in a concierge Healthcare program from elite health. I was attacked by a severe heart attack in a party, luckily surrounded by many people. Some of the sudden chan...

[chrisanimelo444]

on 7/11/2009 Studies show that drinking lots of water can actually lower the risk of getting heart attacks. Visit http://www.saladsticks.com/2009/07/water-is-life-changing.html for more details.

[dodly]

on 7/10/2009 i really like your post its very nice information.
Check out my new blog
http://fatloss-plans.blogspot.com/You can find easy ways to lose weight, fat loss dieting

[dobguy1]

on 6/4/2009 great read