1.Stop
smoking. Quitting smoking is the single most
important thing a person can do to live longer. If you are a smoker, you are
twice as likely to have a heart attack than a non-smoker. But from the moment
you stop smoking, the risk of heart attack starts to reduce. With public
smoking bans recently introduced, there has never been a better time to give
up.
2.
Cut down on salt. Too much salt
can cause high blood pressure, which increases the risk of developing coronary
heart disease. Avoid foods like crisps, salted nuts, canned and packet soups
and sauces, baked beans and canned vegetables, pork pies, pizzas and ready
meals. Many breakfast cereals and breads that appear healthy also contain high
levels of salt, so keep your eye on 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 fruit and vegetables, oily fish,
starchy foods such as wholegrain bread, pasta and rice. Avoid foods like
biscuits, cakes, pastries and dairy products that are high in saturated fats
and sugar.
4.
Monitor alcohol. 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 aim 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. 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. 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-fibre 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 recognise 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.
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