You have more control than you may think over your heart disease risk.

Wouldn’t it be great if there was something you could do now to reduce your risk of a future heart attack? While there’s no way to guarantee you won’t experience a heart attack, “There are quite a few things you can do to reduce your risk of developing heart disease, which also lowers the chance you’ll have a heart attack or stroke,” says Jerry Floro, PIH Health cardiologist.

Many of the healthy lifestyle tips listed below may seem obvious, but their importance should not be downplayed because they help you exercise control over your heart health and heart attack risk.

7 Ways to Reduce Heart Attack Risk

1. Follow a healthy diet. What and how much you eat affects many risk factors for heart disease, including blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, and weight. “Eating a well-balanced diet comprised primarily of foods filled with fiber, protein, nutrients, and healthy fats, like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean sources of protein may reduce the risk for a heart attack,” says Dr. Floro. “Limit saturated and trans-fat, added sugar, foods high in sodium, and processed foods.”

2. Exercise. You’ve heard it before but it’s worth repeating. Being physically active is good for your health in so many ways. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise weekly, but even if you can’t exercise too much, do a few minutes at a time. It all adds up.

3. Stop smoking. If you smoke, quitting is one of the best things you can do for your heart health. It may be hard to quit, but it is harder to live with heart disease or recover from a heart attack.

4. Get enough sleep. Adults should aim for seven to nine hours of sleep each night. Getting too little or too much sleep can be harmful to your heart, as well as affect many other aspects of your health.

5. Reduce stress. This is easier said than done but reminding yourself how bad chronic stress is for your heart may help you find ways to better control it. Exercising, meditating, practicing deep breathing, and taking time to do things you enjoy can all go a long way toward reducing stress.

6. Drink less. If you drink alcohol, limit consumption to one or two drinks a day if you’re a man or one drink a day if you’re a woman. “Drinking too much can increase blood pressure, contribute to heart arrhythmias, and may also lead to other unhealthy habits that affect heart health,” says Dr. Floro.

7. Manage blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose levels. These are all primary risk factors for heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. Get these things checked each year when you go for an annual physical. Limit the amount of added sugar, salt, and saturated fat you consume. Exercise regularly and maintain a healthy weight, which also helps control these risk factors.

By adopting healthier lifestyle habits today you’ll be setting yourself up for a lifetime of improved heart health, which also means you may be less likely to experience a heart attack.

To find a doctor, go to PIHHealth.org/Doctors

Jerry Floro MD

Jerry Floro MD is a Cardiologist with extensive experience in the areas of cardiovascular disease and interventional cardiology. He strongly advocates the mission of providing compassionate and sensitive medical care to his patients. He embraces new technology and continues to stay abreast of the latest cutting-edge advances in his field. Dr. Floro says it's important to manage all of a patient's care, whether it be non-invasive treatment or interventional surgery. Dr. Floro has been selected for inclusion in the Southern California Super Doctors® by Los Angeles Magazine consecutive times in the last 10 years. In his spare time he's an avid sports lover, especially college football, where he supports his alma mater USC. He received his undergraduate degree from USC and attended medical school at Vanderbilt University. His post-graduate training includes a residency in Internal Medicine at Vanderbilt University, a fellowship in Cardiology at Harbor General-UCLA Medical Center and a fellowship in Cardiac Pacing and Electrophysiology at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center/UC Irvine Medical Center

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