To prevent a heart attack, the most effective approach involves making comprehensive lifestyle changes and managing health risk factors. Key strategies include:

• Adopt a heart-healthy diet: Focus on a Mediterranean-style diet rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, fish, legumes, nuts, and reduced-fat dairy products. Limit intake of processed meats, refined carbohydrates, added sugars, saturated fats, and high-sodium foods

• Maintain regular physical activity: Aim for at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise, such as brisk walking, swimming, or cycling. Regular exercise strengthens the heart, improves circulation, and helps maintain a healthy weight

• Avoid smoking: Smoking significantly increases the risk of heart attack. Quitting smoking is the single most impactful step to reduce heart attack risk

• Control blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar: Regularly monitor and manage these levels through lifestyle and, if necessary, medications. High blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol, and diabetes increase heart attack risk

• Maintain a healthy weight: Keeping waist circumference below about 37 inches for men and 35 inches for women lowers risk. Weight control helps reduce blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes risk

• Limit alcohol consumption: Drink no more than one drink per day for women and two for men to avoid raising blood pressure and adding excess calories

• Manage stress and get adequate sleep: Chronic stress and poor sleep quality can increase heart disease risk. Aim for 7–9 hours of quality sleep and use stress-reduction techniques such as exercise, meditation, or calming activities

• Stay hydrated: Drinking enough water helps prevent dehydration, which can contribute to heart attack risk

In summary, preventing a heart attack centers on a combination of healthy eating, regular exercise, smoking cessation, weight management, controlling medical conditions, limiting alcohol, managing stress, and ensuring good sleep hygiene

. Starting with one or two changes and building gradually can make these lifestyle adjustments more manageable and effective.