Living with a myocardial infarction
Lifestyle changes
Treating and rehabilitating people who have already had a heart attack in order to prevent them having another heart attack is known as "secondary prevention." As well as reducing the risk of further heart attacks, secondary prevention can improve a person’s quality of life and reduce the need for surgical procedures such as angioplasty. Secondary prevention typically involves a combination of lifestyle changes and taking medicines.
Your overall lifestyle plays an important role in how well you recover from a heart attack. A healthy lifestyle can also help prevent future heart attacks by controlling the risk factors which contribute to atherosclerosis (narrowing of the arteries).
If you have had a heart attack, you may be advised to:
Have regular medical check-ups
It is important that you see your doctor regularly. He/she will monitor your condition to assess if your current treatment plan is the most appropriate for your condition. It is important that you take all your heart medicines as recommended by your doctor, as they all have separate jobs to do and they act together to keep your heart working as well as possible.
Stop smoking
If you smoke, stopping is the most important thing you can do after a heart attack. If you continue to smoke, your risk of having a second heart attack is doubled compared with someone who does not smoke. Your clinic will be able to provide advice about programmes and products to help you stop smoking. Don’t worry if you have put on weight because you have stopped smoking, as giving up smoking is much more important and you can lose the extra weight later.
Eat a healthy diet
Eating a varied and healthy diet will help to reduce your risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease and heart attack. Your diet should include plenty of fruit, leafy vegetables, unprocessed cereals and low-fat, high-fibre foods. Try to avoid fatty foods as these contribute to atherosclerosis (narrowed arteries) which is one of the main causes of high blood pressure.
Too much salt in the diet can also cause high blood pressure so you should try to limit your intake of salt. Doctors recommend keeping salt intake below 2.4 grams (g), or about one teaspoon per day. Be aware that many foods contain added salt. Your doctor or nurse will be able to provide advice on eating a healthy diet.
Maintain a healthy weight
Your healthy weight is determined by several factors, including your genes, food and physical activity. Your doctor will check your body size by measuring your weight and height and calculating your Body Mass Index (BMI). Research has shown that people within a certain range of body size tend to live the longest, and enjoy the best health during their lives. The World Health Organisation defines overweight as a BMI of at least 25 and obesity as a BMI of at least 30. If your BMI is above the healthy range you are at higher risk of developing high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and heart disease.
If you are overweight, it is important that you try to lose weight. Losing weight is about reducing the number of calories you eat to less than the calories you burn off in your everyday life. Your doctor or nurse will be able to provide advice on the type of diet and exercise plan suitable for you.
Exercise regularly
Exercise can greatly reduce angina (chest pain or discomfort that happens when the heart doesn’t get as much blood as it needs) and it will also help to keep your weight down. It also helps to lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels and to reduce stress and tension. If you have angina it is important that you exercise regularly, but it should be within the limits of your angina or breathlessness. The type of exercise recommended for the heart is moderate aerobic exercise such as brisk walking, cycling or swimming. Ask your doctor to help you with an exercise plan.
Limit your alcohol intake
drinking more than two alcoholic drinks a day raises blood pressure, one of the most important risk factors for heart attack. It is important to limit your alcohol intake, particularly if you are taking medicines. Your doctor or nurse will be able to provide advice on how much it is safe for you to drink.
Have your blood pressure checked regularly
High blood pressure is one of the most important risk factors for heart attack so it is important that you have your blood pressure checked regularly. Controlling high blood pressure can significantly reduce the risk of having a heart attack. Eating a healthy diet and maintaining a healthy weight can help to control blood pressure. Your doctor may also prescribe medicines to control your blood pressure.
Have your blood cholesterol levels checked regularly
High cholesterol levels contribute to atherosclerosis (narrowing of arteries caused by the build up of cholesterol in the walls of the arteries). Narrowed arteries are more likely to become blocked, causing a heart attack so it is important that you have your blood cholesterol levels checked regularly. If your blood cholesterol levels are above normal levels, eating a healthy diet will help to lower them. Your doctor may also prescribe medicines to lower your cholesterol levels.
Reduce your stress levels
Continuous stress can raise blood pressure and increase your risk of having another heart attack. Taking steps to reduce stress in your daily activities will help to reduce your risk of having another heart attack. Exercise is often part of a stress management program. Some other techniques which may help you to lower your stress levels include relaxation, meditation and deep breathing.
