Prevention is the key to managing the risk for myocardial infarction. Other conditions such as
diabetes,
high blood pressure and
elevated cholesterol contribute to the development of
coronary artery disease. These illnesses must be well-managed, in order to minimize the progression of
coronary artery disease.
Lifestyle choices that help to prevent myocardial infarction include:
- Stop smoking
- Avoid exposure to secondary smoke
- Eat a healthy heart diet:
- Follow an exercise plan developed with your doctor.
- Weight loss if you are overweight.
- Drink alcohol in moderation:
- For men: no more than 2 alcoholic beverages per day
- For women: no more than 1 alcoholic beverage per day
- Ask your doctor if you are a candidate for daily aspirin therapy:
- Your doctor will base his or her judgment on your relative risk of heart attack in the next 10 years, balanced against the potential risks from taking daily aspirin.
- This requires you are not allergic to aspirin
- In most cases, requires only 81 mg of aspirin per day, administered as a single enteric-coated pill (e.g. Bayer Low Dose 81 mg)
- Ask your doctor if you are a candidate for other blood thinners, such as Plavix
