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Pharmasave®
H E A L T H A N D W E L L N E S S
C O N N E C T I O N
Five Steps You Can Take to
Prevent Heart Attacks
The leading cause of death for both men and
women in Canada, heart attacks affect about
80,000 people every year. They happen when a
blood clot forms in an artery in the heart and
blocks the blood supply to the heart muscle. You
may be at higher risk if you have high blood
pressure or high blood cholesterol levels, or if you
smoke, don't exercise enough or are overweight.
A family history of early heart disease, diabetes,
or a history of clinical depression or sleep apnea
can also put you at risk. Many of these factors
and medical conditions are linked to lifestyle
which means there's a lot you can do to reduce
your risk of getting a heart attack. Many of the
following recommendations also reduce your risk
of getting cancer or osteoporosis (brittle bones).
1. Quitting smoking is the single best move
you can make. Need help? Ask your doctor
or work with your Pharmasave Live Well
pharmacist to support you through a quit
smoking program.
2. Your doctor can tell you the best time to
start having your cholesterol checked. If it
is above normal, a program of diet, exercise
and possibly medications can help delay
plaque from building up in your arteries.
Fifty Five Plus magazine
now available at all Ontario
Pharmasave locations www.pharmasave.com
September 2008 • 38 • Fifty-Five Plus Magazine
3. Check your blood pressure regularly, at least
at every doctor’s checkup. Often you can do
this right in your Pharmasave pharmacy. If it
is too high, your doctor can suggest ways to
lower your blood pressure through lifestyle
changes or medications. If you do need
medicine, it's important to take it as directed.
4. Regular exercise improves heart health,
reduces blood pressure, lowers cholesterol
and helps you keep to a healthy weight.
Heart-healthy nutrition is a must, which
means foods that are low in cholesterol and
saturated fats and high in fibre-and that taste
good. Fresh fruits and veggies, beans and
whole grains all fit the bill. Add low-fat dairy
products to your shopping list too. Overall,
aim to keep fat to less than 30 percent of your
daily calories. For most adults, that's less than
60 grams of fat a day.
5. Low doses of ASA helps prevent heart
attacks in most of us. But some people
should not take it, so be sure to talk to your
doctor first.