Heart attack

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Acute MI	Anterior heart arteries	Heart, front view	Heart, section through the middle
Heart attack symptoms	Posterior heart arteries	Post myocardial infarction ECG wave tracings	Progressive build-up of plaque in coronary artery

Myocardial infarction; MI; Acute MI

To prevent a heart attack:

• Control your blood pressure.
• Control total cholesterol levels. To help with cholesterol control, your doctor may prescribe a medication of the statins group (atorvastatin, simvastatin).
• Stop smoking if you smoke.
• Eat a low fat diet rich in fruits and vegetables and low in animal fat.
• Control diabetes.
• Lose weight if you are overweight.
• Exercise daily or several times a week by walking and other exercises to improve heart fitness. (Consult your health care provider first.)

If you have one or more risk factors for heart disease, talk to your doctor about possibly taking aspirin to help prevent a heart attack.

After a heart attack, follow-up care is important to reduce the risk of having a second heart attack. Often, a cardiac rehabilitation program is recommended to help you gradually return to a "normal" lifestyle. Follow the exercise, diet, and medication regimen prescribed by your doctor.

Review Date: 11/14/2005
Reviewed By: Steven Kang, MD, Division of Cardiac Pacing and Electrophysiology, Cardiovascular Consultants Medical Group, Oakland, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.