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Heart Attack Prevention & Precaution

By Kripal Negi

Reviewed by : Jalaz Jain

January 22, 2023

Cardiovascular diseases, especially heart attacks, are among the most frequently seen causes of fatalities among the older population due to unhealthy dietary and irregular physical routines. Therefore, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is one of the significant precautions to avoid a heart attack (or having another one).

Here are a few precautions to be taken against heart attack :

  • Avoid or quit smoking
  • Follow healthy dietary habits
  • Try to keep your anxiety and stress levels at bay, as they may increase your blood pressure
  • These precautions can help you avert heart attack and other cardiovascular diseases.

    Factors Dictating The Heart Attack Precautions

    Here are the factors that determine the precautions to avoid heart attack :

  • Diet
  • Another one of the necessary precautions to be taken against a heart attack is consuming a healthy diet low in fat. Fat can obstruct your arteries, leading to atherosclerosis and raising the risk of a heart attack.

    Among the immediate precautions for heart attack patients , the first one is definitely stopping high-fat foods that cause plaque build-up in the arteries. In addition, you must stave off of foods containing unhealthy cholesterol.

    There are two kinds of cholesterol:

  • High-density lipoprotein (HDL): This cholesterol comprises small quantities of fat paired with protein. It is often referred to as the “good cholesterol” as it reduces the deposits in your arteries, decreasing the risk of high blood pressure.
  • Low-density Lipoprotein (LDL): Contrary to HDL, this type of cholesterol has small amounts of protein paired with fat. Also known as “bad cholesterol”, it can block your arteries, leading to high blood pressure.
  • Then there are two kinds of fats:

  • Saturated fats: It is important to avoid these fats as they can raise the risk of CVDs like stroke and heart attack.
  • Unsaturated fats: These fats can help improve blood cholesterol levels, stabilise heart rhythms, ease inflammation and aid several other body functions.
  • Foods with saturated fats should be avoided as precautions to avoid a heart attack . Here are a few of the saturated fat foods:

  • Fried foods
  • Butter
  • Lard
  • Hard cheese
  • Foods containing palm oil or coconut oil
  • Pies
  • Sausages or fatty meats
  • Ghee or clarified butter
  • Cream
  • If you are looking for safety precautions for heart attack patients , avoiding the foods mentioned above would be best. Instead, you can opt for a Mediterranean diet, which means having more fruit, fish, veggies and bread and less red meat.

    Replacing butter and cheese with plant-based oils like olive oil is also a part of heart attack precautions . Although oily fishes like sardines, herrings and salmon are a part of the Mediterranean diet, you don’t need to eat them just for the sake of preventing heart attacks.

    However, if you are thinking having omega-3 fatty foods or supplements are a part of the precautions to avoid a heart attack . Also, ensure you don’t add food supplements like beta-carotene to your diet without consulting your doctor, as it may be harmful to your body.

  • Smoking
  • Smoking can cause atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and raise blood pressure. That’s why one of the immediate precautions for heart attack patients is to avoid or quit smoking. If you have just been diagnosed with a risk of heart attack or have suffered a minor heart failure, make sure you avoid smoking at all costs. If you are already a smoker with a history of cardiovascular conditions, quit it immediately.

    If you are looking to quit smoking but don’t know how to and don’t want to go to a stop-smoking service, your doctor might be able to prescribe you treatment to cope with the withdrawal symptoms. They can also help you with other heart attack symptoms and precautions related to smoking.

  • High Blood Pressure
  • Among the frequently-seen reasons for heart attacks is hypertension or constant high blood pressure, which puts stress on your heart and the arteries. You can reduce the risk of high blood pressure with the help of regular exercise and healthy dietary habits, maintaining a healthy weight and moderating your alcohol consumption. You should also keep the salt intake to less than 6g or one teaspoon per day, as it is one of the critical factors in hypertension.

    Also, try to opt for a low-fat diet and include plenty of fibre with foods like bread, fruits and veggies, whole rice, pasta, whole wheat, etc. Moreover, try to have at least 5 portions of veggies and fruits every day.

  • Alcohol
  • Among the precautions to be taken against heart attack , the alcohol limit is one of the first ones to consider. It’s ok to drink alcohol, but don’t forget your limits. Irrespective of gender, you might not want to drink more than 14 units (6 pints of beer or 10 small glasses of low-alcohol-content wine) per week. Exceeding the alcohol limits can result in high blood pressure and high cholesterol, raising the risk of a heart attack.

    If you think you suffer from alcohol addiction and find it hard to quit, you might want to get in touch with a counsellor or therapist. They can help you limit your daily alcohol limit and eventually lead to sobriety.

  • Exercise
  • If you are in need of the precautions to be taken against heart attack , first start exercising. It will help you be active and keep your blood vessels and heart in good condition. Moreover, it will help you lose weight, lowering bad cholesterol and keeping your blood pressure at bay.

    Doctors recommend you try low-impact activities like swimming, walking, cycling, etc. However, it would be best to stave off more strenuous activities like gym workouts and sports like football, rugby, basketball, squash, tennis, etc. You can also consult with a professional trainer to come up with a healthy exercise routine without straining your heart too much.

  • Weight
  • Arguably, one of the most significant heart attack precautions any doctor will recommend is maintaining a healthy weight. If you are overweight, your heart will have to work significantly harder to pump blood through your vessels, which in turn will raise your blood pressure. BMI, or body mass index, can be a great way to determine whether you are healthy for your height.

    If you want more information on heart attack symptoms and precautions , visit Ujala Cygnus Hospital . We have some of the most experienced doctors and medical professionals in the country who can provide gradual and immediate precautions for heart attack patients .

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