Heart attack prevention

Chest | Cardiology | Heart attack prevention (Disease)


Description

A heart attack occurs when blood flow to a part of your heart is blocked for a long enough time that part of the heart muscle is damaged or dies. It is also called a myocardial.

Causes and Risk factors

Most heart attacks are caused by a blood clot that blocks one of the coronary arteries. The coronary arteries bring blood and oxygen to the heart. If the blood flow is blocked, the heart is starved of oxygen and heart cells die.

A hard substance called plaque can build up in the walls of your coronary arteries. This plaque is made up of cholesterol and other cells. A heart attack can occur as a result of plaque buildup.

The cause of heart attacks is not always known.

Diagnosis and Treatment

A healthy lifestyle can help prevent heart attacks. This may include:

(1) Quitting smoking if you smoke, and avoiding secondhand smoke.

(2) Keeping a healthy diet that is low in fat and low in cholesterol.

(3) Exercising regularly.

(4) Managing your stress.

(5) Controlling your blood pressure.

(6) Managing your blood sugar level if you have diabetes.

(7) Seeing your doctor regularly for check-ups.

Reasons for failure in keeping a healthy lifestyle to preven a heart attack:

(1) Lack of awareness that they already have coronary atherosclerosis, and ignorance that coronary atherosclerosis and heart attacks are preventable;

(2) Unwillingness or inability to quit cigarette smoking;

(3) Lack of exercise, an excess of fat and cholesterol in their diet, and an inability to lose excess weight;

(4) Failure to take full advantage of medications that improve cholesterol profiles, usually out of fear of potential side effects.

Also eating a healthy heart diet such a low fat diet and a low salt diet. Eating a well-rounded diet, small, frequent meals are also recommended along with limiting cholesterol in diet to less than 200 milligrams a day.

Eating foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids: omega-3s are present in salmon, tuna, and mackerel. Walnuts and flax seed are also rich in omega3s. ...