Lifestyle and home remedies

Heart healthy lifestyle changes are an important part of heart attack prevention. Recommendations include the following:

• Don't smoke. If you smoke, quit. Talk to your doctor if you need help quitting. Also, avoid secondhand smoke.
• Eat a heart-healthy diet. Eat a diet with lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and moderate amounts of low-fat dairy and lean meats.
• Be active. Get regular exercise and stay physically active. If you have not been exercising regularly, talk to your doctor about the best exercise to begin a healthy and safe routine.
• Check your cholesterol. Have your blood cholesterol levels checked regularly at your doctor's office. Avoid high-fat, high-cholesterol meat and dairy. If your doctor has prescribed a statin or other cholesterol-lowering medication, take it daily as directed by your doctor.
• Control your blood pressure. Have your blood pressure checked regularly as recommended by your doctor. Take blood pressure medicine daily as recommended.
• Maintain a healthy weight. Excess weight strains your heart and can contribute to high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and other conditions.
• Manage stress. To reduce your risk of a heart attack, reduce stress in your day-to-day activities. Rethink work habits and find healthy ways to minimize or deal with stressful events in your life. Talk to your doctor or a mental health care professional if you need help managing stress.
• Drink alcohol in moderation. If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation. Drinking more than one to two alcoholic drinks a day can raise blood pressure.