Heart Attack and Unstable Angina (cont.)

1. What Kind of Doctor Do I Need? Slideshow
2. Dental (Oral) Health Quiz
3. Causes of a Heart Attack Slideshow

Prevention

You can help prevent a heart attack by taking steps that slow or prevent coronary artery disease—the main risk factor for a heart attack.

Make lifestyle changes

• Quit smoking. It may be the best thing you can do to prevent heart disease. You can start lowering your risk right away by quitting smoking. Also, avoid secondhand smoke.

  Interactive Tool: How Does Smoking Increase Your Risk of Heart Attack?

  Interactive Tool: Are You Ready to Quit Smoking?

• Exercise. Exercise boosts your health in a lot of ways. It can improve cholesterol and lower blood pressure. It can also help you reach a healthy weight. Try to exercise for at least 30 minutes on most, if not all, days of the week. Talk to your doctor before starting an exercise program.

  Heart Disease: Exercising for a Healthy Heart

• Eat a heart-healthy diet. The way you eat can help you control your cholesterol and blood pressure. It can be hard to know what's best to eat for a healthy heart. Remember that some foods you may hear about are just fads that don't prevent heart disease at all.

  Heart Disease: Eating Heart-Healthy Foods

  Comparing Heart-Healthy Diets(What is a PDF document?)

Control cholesterol and blood pressure

To reduce your risk of a heart attack, you will need to control your cholesterol and manage your blood pressure. Quitting smoking, changing the way you eat, and getting more exercise can help. But if these things don't work, you may also need to take medicines.

High Cholesterol: Should I Take Statins?

High Blood Pressure: Should I Take Medicine?

Take aspirin to prevent a heart attack

Taking daily aspirin might lower your chances of having a heart attack. Talk with your doctor before taking aspirin every day. To see if aspirin is right for you, you and your doctor will balance the benefits and the risks of taking a daily aspirin.

Aspirin: Should I Take Daily Aspirin to Prevent a Heart Attack or Stroke?

For more information, see the topic Low-Dose Aspirin Therapy.

Manage stress and get help for depression

• Manage stress. Stress can hurt your heart. Keep stress low by talking about your problems and feelings, rather than keeping your feelings hidden. Try different ways to reduce stress, such as exercise, deep breathing, meditation, or yoga.
• Get help for depression. Getting treatment for depression can help you stay healthy.

Learn about issues for women

Women have unique risk factors for heart disease, including hormone therapy and pregnancy-related problems. These things can raise a woman's risk for a heart attack or stroke.

See the topic Women and Coronary Artery Disease for more information on risk, symptoms, and prevention of heart disease.