You can find here 10 Important Steps to prevent Heart Attacks
& Heart Diseases.
2. Cut down on salt. Usage of too much salt can cause high blood pressure, which increases the risk of developing coronary heart disease. Stay away from foods like crisps, salted nuts, canned and packet soups and sauces, baked beans and preserve vegetables, pizzas, quick and ready meals. Many breakfast cereals and breads that appear healthy also contain high levels of salt, so try to eat these too.
3. Watch your diet. A healthy diet can help to reduce the risk of developing heart disease and can also help increase the chances of survival after a heart attack. You should try to have a balanced diet, containing plenty of fresh vegetables & fruits, oily fish, starchy foods such as whole grain bread, pasta and rice. Stay away from foods like biscuits, cakes, pastries and dairy products that are high in fats and sugar.
4. Monitor your alcohol. As you know alcohol is very dangerous for health. Usage of too much alcohol can damage the heart muscle, increase blood pressure and also lead to weight gain. Binge drinking will increase your risk of having a heart attack, so you should aim to limit your intake to one to two units a day.
5. Get active. The heart is a muscle and it needs exercise to keep fit so that it can pump blood efficiently round your body with each heart beat. You should do for 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise a day. If this seems too daunting, start off gently and build up gradually. Keeping fit not only benefits your physical health - it improves your mental health and well being too.
6. Manage your weight. The number of people who are overweight in Britain is rising fast already more than half of the adult population is overweight or obese. Carrying a lot of extra weight as fat can greatly affect your health and increases the risk of life threatening conditions such as coronary heart disease and diabetes. If you are overweight or obese, start by making small, but healthy changes to what you eat, and try to become more active.
7. Get your blood pressure and cholesterol levels checked by your GP. The higher your blood pressure, the shorter your life expectancy. People with high blood pressure run a higher risk of having a stroke or a heart attack. High levels of cholesterol in the blood produced by the liver from saturated fats - can lead to fatty deposits in your coronary arteries that increase your risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and diseases that affect the circulation. You can help lower your cholesterol level by exercising and eating high-fiber foods such as porridge, beans, pulses, lentils, nuts, fruits and vegetables.
8. Learn to manage your stress levels. If you find things are getting on top of you, you may fail to eat properly, smoke and drink too much and this may increase your risk of a heart attack.
9. Check your family history. If a close relative is at risk of developing coronary heart disease from smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, lack of physical activity, obesity and diabetes, then you could be at risk too.
10. Make sure you can recognize the early signs of coronary heart disease. Tightness or discomfort in the chest, neck, arm or stomach which comes on when you exert yourself but goes away with rest may be the first sign of angina, which can lead to a heart attack if left untreated.
* Health tips from the British Heart Foundation
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