Four out of every five heart attack victims, could have preserved their health if they had done only 4 major changes in their lives. This is the conclusion reached by Swedish experts.
Heart attack affects a growing number of men each year, and many see it as an inevitable consequence of modern life and stress. In fact, there is nothing inevitable in a heart attack, and the risk can be reduced to a minimum by only 4 major changes in a man’s lifestyle. Experts argue that the probability of heart attack prevention will be the higher if a man changes his life as soon as possible.
For 11 years, researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm have been observing 20,721 healthy men aged from 45 to 79. This observation made it possible to identify four key lifestyle factors reducing the risk of a heart attack. We are talking about giving up smoking, moderate physical activity, waist volume less of than 92 cm, and moderate alcohol consumption. In addition, a man’s diet should include a sufficient amount of fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, legumes, and fish and low-fat dairy products.
If a man made at least one lifestyle change of the four listed above, it would significantly reduce the risk of a heart attack. Thus, the transition to a healthy diet with moderate alcohol consumption reduces the risk of heart attack by 35% compared to those men who have not changed their attitude to alcohol and fatty foods. A combination of healthy diet and moderate alcohol consumption, no smoking and normal physical activity reduces the risk of heart attack by 86%.
