OH-Blog Logo
Doctor holding red heart with stethoscope on desk in front of them
OHIOHEALTH

5 Heart Attack Prevention Tips

How heart-healthy are you? The answer to that question is more important than you realize

Heart disease doesn’t discriminate, and the statistics are sobering: 1 in 5 Americans will die of heart disease each year. And every 40 seconds, someone dies of a heart attack. Despite those numbers, you can take control of your heart health today and lower your risk.

Heart Attack Signs

Learning the signs of a heart attack can save lives. Among the most recognizable symptoms is a heaviness or tightness in your chest. It tends to feel uncomfortable and radiates to the left side and up into your jaw or neck. These symptoms can be accompanied by shortness of breath, upset stomach, nausea, vomiting or increased sweating. Dizziness, lightheaded, fainting or symptoms of fatigue can also be from heart attack. Knowledge is power; paying attention to symptoms in yourself and others can save lives.

Heart Attack Prevention Tips

While there may be risk factors you cannot alter — such as a family history of heart disease or being a certain age or gender — lifestyle changes can help reduce your risk of heart disease.

  1. Stop smoking. Quitting smoking is one of the most powerful and effective ways to reduce heart disease and other chronic conditions. If you’d like to take steps to quit smoking, visit OhioHealth’s website here for more information.
  2. Take more steps. It is recommended you get 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise. Multiple 10-minute walks throughout each day are beneficial, too. Another option is to purchase a pedometer and count your steps. Go for 10,000 steps per day.
  3. Reduce your salt intake. Choose fresh herbs to season foods, and cut back on processed meals that tend to be salt (sodium)-laden.
  4. Eat a balanced diet. Make sure you’re getting the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables to get key nutrients you may be missing.
  5. Regularly visit your doctor. Talk with your doctor to see which heart screenings you need based on age and other risk factors.

Do you know the latest 411 for heart health? New updates to aspirin guidelines were published in 2019. Taking a baby aspirin everyday has been a common way help prevent having a heart attack or stroke for decades, but new guidelines now define who should and who should not consider aspirin. According to The American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology, those over 70 who have never had a stroke and who do not have existing heart problems, as well as those who are at a higher risk of bleeding, should not take an aspirin every day. If you are currently taking one everyday and don’t think you should be, be sure to consult with your doctor before stopping the therapy.

Whether or not you take a baby aspirin every day, don’t change what you’re doing without talking to your doctor first.

Want to learn more about heart disease and heart attack prevention? Find out more tactics and resources from OhioHealth.

 

TOP