Lifestyle Changes? They May Cut Heart Risk, Research Says

A healthy lifestyle will help make a difference. A study of 20,000 men between the ages of 45 and 70, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, concludes that 80 percent – four out of five – heart attacks (myocardial infarctions) in men may be

preventable with relative ease. 

Based on the study population, men that achieved the five following low-risk factors could prevent 79 percent of potential heart attacks. Those factors were:

•  A healthy diet
•  Moderate alcohol consumption (10 to 30 grams per day) 
•  No smoking
•  Being physically active (walking/bicycling 40 minutes per day and exercising one   hour per week)
•  Having no abdominal obesity.

Assess how you are doing with these five areas and ask your doctor, close friends and family how you can achieve these goals and stay on track with a healthy lifestyle and reduce your risk of illness. 

For more about the study, visit http://content.onlinejacc.org/article.aspx?articleID=1909605.