Health & Fit Heart attack prevention: 4 tips to a healthier heart

© Oliver Rossi/Getty Images Research shows that regular exercise may reduce the risk of a heart attack by 3%. Oliver Rossi/Getty Images

• To reduce the risk of heart attack make sure you're exercising regularly, eating a heart-healthy diet, and getting enough sleep.
• Your chances of having a heart attack are higher if you've already had one.
• To reduce the risk of another heart attack lose excess weight or attend cardiac rehab, which has been shown to reduce the risk of a second heart attack by 47%.
• This article was reviewed by John Osborne, MD, PhD, and the Director of Cardiology for Dallas-based State of the Heart Cardiology.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Someone has a heart attack every 40 seconds in the United States. And after you've had one heart attack, your risk for experiencing a second one is even higher.

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But while heart attacks are common, most people still have misunderstandings and general lack of knowledge about them. Jackie Eubany, MD, a cardiologist and electrophysiologist in Orange, Calif., explains what everyone needs to know about heart attacks , plus the biggest myths surrounding this

Heart health is important for all of us. Today we're sharing three easy steps everyone can take to help lower their risk of suffering a heart attack . Living Healthy Chicago is a health and wellness program that airs Saturdays at 9am on WGN, aiming to educate and inspire our viewers to live

Here's what experts say are the best ways to reduce the chance of getting a heart attack in the first place, or prevent another one from occurring.

How to prevent a heart attack

High blood pressure and high cholesterol especially increase the risk of a heart attack. To prevent a heart attack, your doctor will likely recommend measures to lower blood pressure or lower cholesterol, depending on your situation.

Some of the most common lifestyle changes include:

• Quit smoking. "Cigarette smoking is probably public enemy number one," says Joseph Alpert, MD, a cardiologist at the University of Arizona Sarver Heart Center. People who smoke a pack of cigarettes a day are twice as likely to get a heart attack over non-smokers. When one quits smoking, they can reduce the risk of a heart attack by 36%, according to one study of 20,721 healthy, Swedish men, ages 45 to 79, who were monitored over 11 years.
• Exercise regularly. According to that same study in over 20,000 Swedish men, regular exercise reduced the risk of heart attack by 3%. Aerobics are preferred, as they improve circulation and reduce blood pressure and heart rate, according to John Hopkins Medicine. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services recommends adults get between 150 and 300 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise, such as walking or swimming.
• Adopt a heart-healthy diet. Alpert says that eating lots of fruits and vegetables while decreasing salt intake can benefit heart health. The DASH Diet, for example, is known to lower blood pressure and help prevent cardiovascular diseases. Staying away from saturated and trans fats can also help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart problems.
• Get more sleep. Adults who sleep less than seven hours a night are more prone to developing heart related illnesses like heart attack, heart disease, and stroke. And yet, one in three adults in the US say they don't get enough sleep.

How to prevent a second heart attack after you've had one

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You can prevent heart disease by following a heart - healthy lifestyle. Here are strategies to help you protect your heart . Hennekens CH. Overview of primary prevention of coronary heart disease and stroke. https Heart attack prevention : Should I avoid secondhand smoke?

The American Heart Association recommends focusing on heart disease prevention early in life. To start, assess your risk factors and work to keep In addition, patients taking statins no longer need to get LDL cholesterol levels down to a specific target number. Lifestyle factors, such as a diet high in

According to the American Heart Association, about 20% of people who have their first heart attack will experience a second one within five years. But Alpert says there are ways to reduce that risk.

Along with the recommended lifestyle changes above, you'll want to take any medication described by your doctor — especially if it's to reduce high blood pressure or cholesterol. Getting to a healthy weight is also key; losing even 10% of your body weight is important for reducing the risk of a heart attack if you've already had one.

Cardiac rehab is also recommended for those who have had a heart attack. It's a medically supervised program that gets people to exercise regularly, educates them on how to live a heart-healthy life, and includes counseling on how to reduce stress.

In fact, cardiac rehab can reduce the risk of a second heart attack by 47%, while also providing a strong support network to hold you accountable. If you've had a heart attack, ask your doctor about which cardiac rehab programs might be best for you.

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Prevention - Heart attack . Smoking is a major risk factor for heart attack because it causes atherosclerosis and raises blood pressure. Being overweight forces your heart to work harder to pump blood around your body, which can raise your blood pressure.

Prevent heart attack - 7 Tips for a healthy heart : In this video we bring you how to prevent a heart attack and tips for a healthy heart . Prevention is

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