Minimising your risk

There are several ways to minimise your risk of another heart attack or stroke

While you don't have control over some factors to do with your heart health – such as your genetics or your age – there are plenty of ways in which you can actively improve the health of your heart. All it takes is a little forward planning, and some smart choices regarding your diet and exercise habits. Of course, you should speak to your doctor before making any changes to your routine.

A few steps you can take to reduce your risk of a repeat heart attack or stroke:

1. Stay in a healthy weight range

The more inactive you are, the more you tend to put on weight. Excess weight puts constant strain on your heart, elevating your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Extra kilos around the waist are particularly risky.

To improve your diet and help maintain your weight at a healthy level:

Don't fry foods. Bake, boil or microwave them instead.
Check the fat content and type of fat on food labels.
Use low fat milk, and lower fat cheeses such as cottage cheese.
Eat lean meat and remove the skin from chicken. If you eat red meat, remove the fat before cooking.
Build your meals around fruit, vegetables and grains.
Use less salt. Too much sodium can contribute to increasing your blood pressure.
Look for recipes and meal plans with low calories, and which are low in fat.

2. Get moving

Exercise helps prevent coronary artery disease. A strong heart pumps blood with less effort than a weaker one. Exercise also helps narrowed arteries, improves blood pressure, controls weight and improves blood cholesterol.

The best form of activity to improve your heart health is aerobic activity. Effective exercises include walking, yoga, pilates, swimming, biking, and aerobics. Start slowly if you need to, but try to reach the goal of at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise 3 times a week.

An easy way to incorporate exercise in your life is to include extra physical activity in your normal routine:

Park the car further away and walk to work
Take the stairs instead of the lift
Take a walk around the block at lunchtime

3. Reduce high blood cholesterol levels

Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in animal fats. If your cholesterol levels are too high, it can build up in your artery walls - causing your arteries to become narrowed. This may result in a blockage which can increase your risk of having another heart attack.

You can reduce your cholesterol levels by:

Following a healthy heart eating plan.
Doing some form of regular moderate physical activity.

4. Reduce high blood pressure

Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against artery walls as it flows. The pressure fluctuates throughout the day, but if it is regularly higher than normal, your heart has to work harder and may become enlarged and weaken. High blood pressure also damages the artery walls making them susceptible to plaque build-up, which clogs and narrows arteries.

There are usually no symptoms of high blood pressure, so you should have it regularly checked by your doctor.

5. Control your stress levels

Too much stress can harm your heart. Your natural response to stress causes changes to your body's reactions. Your blood pressure goes up, your heart beats faster and your body releases ‘fight or flight' chemicals for quick energy.

Brief bouts of stress are not harmful, but a stress build-up day after day can be unhealthy, increasing your risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and a number of other health problems like depression and sleeping disorders.

Tips for reducing stress levels:

Exercise. It releases endorphins that make you feel relaxed.
Set reasonable goals.
Control your anger. Take breaks during hectic days to calm down.
Try to have regular sleep patterns.

6. Stop smoking

Smoking is the single most preventable cause of death. The more you smoke, the higher your risk will be of heart disease. In fact, if you are a smoker, your risk of dieing from heart disease is four times higher than a non-smoker⁴.

The good news is as soon as you stop smoking, your body begins to recover. The risk of heart disease is halved after a year of not smoking⁴. Fifteen years after stopping smoking your risk of heart disease is the same as a non-smoker⁴.

If you are trying to quit, ask your doctor or pharmacist about products available from your pharmacy that may help.

7. Cut down on alcohol intake

Excess alcohol can increase your risk of heart disease. If you drink, do it in moderation. A rule of thumb is no more than two drinks a day for men, and one for women.

8. Take a daily, low dose aspirin such as Cartia®

Low dose aspirin such as Cartia can reduce your risk of having another heart attack or stroke by up to 32%³. So if you have experienced a heart attack or a stroke, speak to your doctor or pharmacist about low dose aspirin.

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