Heart Attack Prevention: screening, control risk, exercise, diet, diabetes, stop smoking, manage stress

Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction) - How to prevent?

An effective way to prevent a heart attack is through regular health screening, which can help to detect any risks of a heart attack. Another important method to keep heart attacks at bay is by adopting a healthy lifestyle. This includes:

Exercising regularly:
Aerobic exercises, such as brisk walking, jogging, or swimming, are the best type of exercise for good heart health. If you are generally inactive and are unsure of the most suitable level of intensity for yourself, you can start with walking. Walking is the safest form of exercise and you can start with light or moderate intensity for a shorter duration (less than 10 min), with sessions spread out across the week.

Healthy adults should complete at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise (e.g. brisk walk) in a week. Please seek your doctor’s advice for suitable physical exercises that are tailored to your condition.

Adopt a healthy diet:
Generally, consuming more whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and fish is beneficial while foods that are fried or processed should be reduced.

Recommended servings for various types of food (Click to expand.)

Maintain a healthy weight:
Achieve and maintain a healthy Body Mass Index (BMI). The healthy BMI range for Asians is between 18.5 and 22.9 kg/m2.

Have adequate amounts of sleep:
Get six to eight hours of sleep daily. Inadequate sleep (less than four hours) or excess sleep (more than 10 hours) has been linked to an increase in risk of coronary artery disease.

Manage stress:
Stress can lead to an increase in blood pressure (hypertension) and unhealthy coping mechanisms such as unhealthy eating or substance abuse, all of which contribute to increased risk of a heart attack.

Exercising is a good form of stress relief. Practising breathing exercises or mindfulness can also help reduce your stress levels and in turn, your risks of suffering from a heart attack.

Stop smoking, if you are smoking:
Smoking contributes to atherosclerosis and increases the risk of a heart attack. Many smoking cessation aids can improve your chances of success in trying to quit smoking. Speak to your doctor for help with quitting smoking.