Every year in the United States, an estimated 805,000 people experience a heart attack. That’s one person every 40 seconds. Likewise, heart disease — which includes a range of conditions like coronary artery disease or heart valve disease — is the leading cause of death for men and women in the U.S.
Though the numbers are staggering, the good news is that most people can take an active role to not only maintain their overall heart health, but also protect against the risk of heart attack.
“When we talk about heart attack prevention, there five general pillars, all equally important,” says Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, M.D., M.S.c., M.B.A., chair of the Division of Preventive Cardiology at Mayo Clinic. “They include exercise and daily activity, heart-healthy nutrition, smoking cessation and avoiding secondhand smoke, tracking your numbers, and managing stress.”
Below, Dr. Lopez-Jimenez breaks down the most important ways to prevent a heart attack.
Emphasize holistic movement for heart attack prevention
Most people are probably aware of the many benefits physical activity has on overall health, but Dr. Lopez-Jimenez says it’s a key strategy to prevent heart attack. As a good rule of thumb, the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend 150 minutes of moderately intense activity every week — or about 30 minutes of activity five days a week.
Rather than focusing solely on scheduling time in the gym or isolated bursts of more “formal” exercise, Dr. Lopez-Jimenez recommends taking a holistic approach to physical activity.
“What matters is physical activity, whether it is related to exercise or not,” he says. “What truly protects the heart is moving through the day, sitting for limited amounts of time and avoiding sitting continuously for more than an hour at a time.”
To start, consider how you can incorporate consistent movement throughout your daily life. Pause your workday to perform some desk stretches. Listen to your fitness watch and get up when it tells you you’ve been sitting for too long. Go to the playground with your kids or grandkids. Think about performing “exercise snacks,” which are brief stretches of vigorous activity like running up a flight of stairs instead of taking the elevator. Every little bit counts.
You could also try using a standing desk or desk equipped with a walking pad or bike. These active workstations may have additional benefit; a recent study by Dr. Lopez-Jimenez and other Mayo Clinic experts found that this type of work setup may improve cognitive performance.
Focus on overall diet, rather than supplements, for heart attack prevention
There’s been some speculation in the scientific community on whether vitamins can lower the risk of heart attack or heart disease. Some research has suggested that some vitamins — like folic acid, vitamin C or vitamin E — could lower heart disease risk, but this potential link has not been proven in clinical trials. Meanwhile, other studies found that taking vitamin D does not lower heart disease risk.
In fact, the American Heart Association advises against an overreliance on supplements as there is no evidence of any heart benefit.
Though a single vitamin, supplement or superfood will likely never provide a “quick fix” to prevent a heart attack, there is evidence for the benefits of a heart-healthy diet. More than any single component or nutrient, Dr. Lopez-Jimenez says a pattern of healthy eating appears to be the most protective against heart attacks.
Dr. Lopez-Jimenez recommends a diet rich with daily fruits and vegetables, legumes, low-fat dairy, lean proteins, and healthy oils. Fish, in particular, has been linked to a decreased risk of heart disease, and the American Heart Association recommends eating fish at least twice a week. Try to limit the amount of red and processed meat, sodium, trans and saturated fats you eat.
Start small. Add one fish dinner a week or try subbing in ground turkey or chicken for a recipe that calls for ground beef.
Avoid smoke exposure for heart attack prevention
Smoking — even exposure to secondhand smoke — increases your risk for heart attack.
Smoke inflames and restricts arteries, in addition to increasing the chances of small plaques forming in the blood. Additionally, repetitive exposure to toxins in smoke and tobacco can lead to atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. Eventually that atherosclerosis grows and could block arteries of the heart, according to Dr. Lopez-Jimenez. Smoking also can trigger heart attacks, because blood gets thicker, and heart rate and blood pressure increase during smoking.
If you smoke or use tobacco products, quitting is one of the most powerful ways to prevent heart attack — for you and those around you.
Try to manage stress for heart attack prevention
Stress can put strain on the body by increasing blood pressure, triggering the release of stress hormones and forcing the heart to work much harder, says Dr. Lopez-Jimenez.
Stress can actually trigger a heart attack as well, either through an intense, and very sudden, spasm in the coronary artery or through spontaneous coronary artery dissection.
Of course, some things that cause stress in your life — like financial insecurity, work assignments or tough family relationships — may be largely or entirely outside your control. So don’t blame yourself for feeling stressed.
Instead, do your best to manage stress. Consider cultivating a daily mindfulness practice or setting aside time for intentional relaxation. In particular, Dr. Lopez-Jimenez emphasizes social connectedness, cultivating relationships and gratitude as protective strategies for heart health.
This could be something as simple as ending the day by writing down three things you’re grateful for. Or hang out with people you love and can relax around. When you feel stress starting to overwhelm you, pause and take a few deep breaths. Many mindfulness practices are free and can be done in just a few minutes.
Keep an eye on your numbers for heart attack prevention
Though there are risk factors you can’t control — like age or family history — keeping track of a few key numbers will help you and your healthcare provider maintain your heart health.
For most people, Dr. Lopez-Jimenez says this means monitoring cholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressure and body weight — all of which can represent a risk factor for heart attack when they fall outside the typical range.
“The idea is to keep those factors under control [because] they correspond to high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity,” says Dr. Lopez-Jimenez.
If you’re concerned about your risk of heart attack — or simply want to begin monitoring your heart health more proactively — ask your healthcare team about your numbers and how often you should be tested. Some numbers, like cholesterol, require a blood test. But you can monitor your blood pressure regularly at home, ideally 2 to 3 times a week.
Once you know your numbers, it’s important to discuss your risk level with your healthcare provider and consider any preventative interventions or treatments you may need. Medications to treat high blood pressure or cholesterol will be important for some people.
And in some cases, daily aspirin can help prevent heart attack and stroke. But Dr. Lopez-Jimenez says these protective benefits are only associated with people who have a specific medical history, like those who have already experienced heart attack or certain strokes, certain heart surgeries, or conditions like coronary disease or peripheral arterial disease.
For other people, the benefits of daily aspirin are debated. For most people, Dr. Lopez-Jimenez says, daily aspirin does not provide a preventative benefit. As always, speak to your healthcare provider before stopping or starting any medication.
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