- eat a healthy, balanced diet
- do not smoke
- try to keep your blood pressure at a healthy level
A healthy diet
Eating an insalubrious diet that is high in fat will make inure of the arteries ( atherosclerosis ) worse and increase your risk of a heart attack. Continuing to eat high-fat foods will cause more fatty plaques to build up in your arteries. This is because fatty foods contain an unhealthy type of cholesterol.
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There are 2 chief types of cholesterol :
- low-density lipoprotein (LDL) – this is mostly made up of fat plus a small amount of protein; this type of cholesterol can block your arteries, so it is often known as “bad cholesterol”
- high-density lipoprotein (HDL) – this is mostly made up of protein plus a small amount of fat; this type of cholesterol can reduce deposits in your arteries, so is often known as “good cholesterol”
There are besides 2 types of fat – saturated and unsaturated. Avoid foods containing gamey levels of saturated fat, as they increase levels of LDL cholesterol in your blood. Foods high in impregnate fatty admit :
- pies
- fried foods
- sausages and fatty cuts of meat
- butter
- ghee (a type of butter often used in Indian cooking)
- lard
- cream
- hard cheese
- cakes and biscuits
- foods that contain coconut or palm oil
You should aim to follow a Mediterranean-style diet. This means eating more bread, fruit, vegetables and fish, and less kernel. Replace butter and cheese with products based on vegetable and plant oil, such as olive anoint. oily fish, such as herring, sardines and pink-orange, can form separate of a Mediterranean-style diet, but there ‘s no indigence to eat this type of pisces specifically to try to prevent another heart approach. besides, taking omega-3 fatty acid fatso acid supplements, or eating foods fortified with omega-3 fatty acid fatty acids, has not been found to help prevent another heart attack. never take a food supplement without first consulting a GP. Some supplements, such as beta-carotene, are potentially harmful. Find out more about changing your diet after a heart attack .
Smoking
smoke is a major gamble factor for heart attack because it causes atherosclerosis and raises blood pressure. A GP can refer you to a local NHS Stop Smoking Service, which will provide support and advice about the best ways to quit. You can besides call the NHS Smokefree Helpline on 0300 123 1044 ( England merely, from Monday to Friday 9am to 8pm, and Saturday and Sunday 11am to 4pm ). particularly train helpline staff offer free expert advice and encouragement. If you are committed to quitting but do not want to be referred to a end smoke service, a GP should be able to prescribe treatment to help with withdrawal symptoms you may experience. Find out about self-help tips to stop smoke .
High blood pressure
dogged high blood coerce ( high blood pressure ) can put excess strive on your arteries and heart, increasing your risk of a heart attack. high blood press can much be reduced by eating a healthy diet, moderating your alcohol inhalation, maintaining a goodly weight and doing unconstipated use .
Diet and high blood pressure
The advice on eating a healthy, balanced diet besides applies if you have high rake pressure. In addition, cut down on the total of salt in your food. Salt raises blood pressure. The more salt you eat, the higher your blood blackmail. You should aim to eat less than 6g of salt a day ( 2.4g sodium ) – that ‘s approximately 1 teaspoon.
Find out how to cut down on salt. Eating a low-fat diet that includes lots of fiber – such as wholegrain rice, boodle, pasta and plenty of fruit and vegetables – has been proven to help lower blood coerce. Fruit and vegetables besides contain vital vitamins and minerals and help keep your body goodly. You should aim to eat 5 portions of yield and vegetables every day. Find out more about getting your 5 A Day .
Alcohol
If you drink alcohol, do not exceed the commend limits :
- men and women are advised not to regularly drink more than 14 units of alcohol a week
- spread your drinking over 3 or more days if you regularly drink as much as 14 units a week
14 units is equivalent to 6 pints of average-strength beer, or 10 little glasses of low-strength wine. Find out more about alcohol units. regularly exceeding the recommended alcohol limits raises your blood blackmail and cholesterol level, increasing your risk of a heart attack. Avoid orgy drink, which is drinking lots of alcohol in a short space of time or drink to get intoxicated. Binge toast can cause a sudden and bombastic raise in your blood coerce, which could be potentially dangerous. inquiry has found people who have had a affection approach and retain to binge drink are twice ampere probable to die from a unplayful health stipulate, such as another heart attack or stroke, compared with people who moderate their drink after having a heart attack. Find tips for cutting down on alcohol. Contact your GP if you find it difficult to moderate your drink. Counselling services and medicines can help you reduce your alcohol inhalation. Find out more about alcohol support .
Weight
Being corpulence forces your heart to work hard to pump rake around your body, which can raise your blood pressure. Use the BMI healthy slant calculator to find out if you are a healthy weight for your acme. If you do need to lose weight, remember that losing just a few kilogram will make a positive dispute to your lineage coerce and health. Find out more about how to start losing weight .
Exercise
Being active and doing regular exercise will lower your blood pressure by keeping your kernel and blood vessels in dear stipulate. regular exert can besides help you lose burden, which will help to lower your blood press.
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Low-impact activities such as walk, swim and motorbike are recommended. More arduous activities, such as playing football and squash, may not be suitable for you. Check with the repair in charge of your wish. Find out more about the benefits of walk, swimming for seaworthiness and how to start cycle .
page last reviewed : 28 November 2019
Next review due : 28 November 2022
