Tips and healthy habits to avoid a second heart attack

Adopting healthy lifestyle habits such as diet, exercise, emotional well-being, and following the indicated medical treatment are the main allies of people who have suffered a heart attack so that the heart attack does not recur.

According to Heart Foundation, myocardial infarction is the main cause of death in developed countries, both in men and women, although thanks to the fact that more and more people can recognize its symptoms. Therefore those affected are treated quickly – and the advanced techniques used to cope with a heart attack, such as angioplasty, the survival rate is around 60%.

However, as an article published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology of the European Society of Cardiology indicates, one in five people who have suffered a heart attack will have another in one year even if they follow a treatment since Most of these patients do not take adequate measures to protect their heart health.

In fact, according to the EUROASPIRE study, carried out in 22 European countries, 16% of people who have suffered a heart attack continue to smoke. In contrast, 38% are obese, and 60% are passive or perform very little physical activity. To which we must add that the rate of abandonment of treatment is also very high. These data reinforce the need to follow a series of prevention guidelines to avoid a second myocardial infarction :

Quitting smoking reduces cardiovascular risk.

It is one of the main prevention measures to avoid a heart attack and prevent it from recurring. A study carried out at the San Filippo Neri Hospital in Rome and published in the American Journal of Cardiology indicates that continuing to smoke after suffering a heart attack increases the chances of dying five times. In comparison, people who do not quit this habit have three times more likely to die a year after having had a heart attack than those who can put out the last cigarette.

Therefore, the first step that anyone who does not want to continue making their heart suffer is to stop smoking, which will be easier for you if:

• You consult your doctor since he can refer you to a specialist to help you with your addiction, and he can even prescribe medication to achieve this end.
• You go to mutual aid groups with other people who also want to quit smoking, guided by specialists.
• You use drugstore nicotine patches or gum as a substitute for tobacco.
• Try alternative therapies such as hypnosis or acupuncture to reduce anxiety caused by quitting smoking.

Controlling cholesterol prevents clogging of the arteries.

Hypercholesterolemia is a widespread health problem among the population, but which is not usually give you importance, especially given taking care of our heart. When you have high LDL cholesterol, the chances of having a second heart attack increase by 50% since one of its consequences is the obstruction of the arteries, one of the main causes of a heart attack. In people at high risk of heart attack, LDL cholesterol values ​​should be below 70 mg/dl. To reach this goal, it is important to:

• Eat as natural a diet as possible, in which ultra-processed products and trans fats are not present.
• Include in the diet foods rich in omega-three fatty acids such as nuts, olive oil, and oily fish.
• Give priority to white meat over red meat.
• Avoid soft drinks and alcoholic beverages.
• The diet should be rich in fiber and include abundant fruits, vegetables, and foods in their integral version.
• Perform moderate physical exercise.
• Follow medical treatment if the healthcare professional deems it appropriate.

Another recommendation to lower cholesterol is to eat breakfast every day and not go to bed just after dinner. According to a study, people who have already had a heart attack and do not eat breakfast and have dinner very late are four to five times more likely to have a second cardiac accident.

Of course, you should not eat just anything for breakfast, and experts indicate that the first meal of the day should include:

A low-fat dairy product.

• Carbohydrate in the form of whole wheat bread or sugar-free cereals.
• A piece of fruit.

When it comes to dinner, it is recommended to wait two hours after eating food before bed.