What you can do: overview

Lifestyle changes such as becoming more physically active, eating more sensibly, and taking off excess weight have been proven to go a long way in preventing heart attacks. It is important to make lifestyle choices that are easy to continue over time and that help reduce the modifiable risk factors that you may have.

Talking to your doctor can help you determine your risk for heart attack. Once you've identified your risk factors, you can do something about them to prevent a heart attack.

Even if you have already had a heart attack, it's important to take steps to prevent another one from occurring and to ensure your recovery is a healthy one.

Here's a list of what you can do to prevent a heart attack:

• take low-dose ASA (e.g., Entrophen® and various other brands), if it is recommended by your doctor
• take your medications as directed by your doctor
• manage your blood pressure
• manage your cholesterol
• manage your diabetes
• improve your physical activity
• improve your nutrition
• maintain a healthy weight
• manage stress
• quit or don't start smoking

To learn ways to fit lifestyle changes into your life, check out the Lifestyle Tool.