12 Rules to Reduce Heart Attacks by 92 Per Cent!

The latest study in Archives of Internal Medicine shows that women who eat loads of veggies, fruit, whole grains, fish and legumes, exercise; maintain a healthy weight; and don't smoke have a whopping 92 per cent DECREASE risk of having a heart attack compared wih women with less healthy diets and habits.

KNOW YOUR HEART HEALTH NUMBERS
Establish a baseline to help plan every preventive step for the rest of the year. "You need to know if you are at risk before you can take action to lower your risk," says Lori Mosca, MD, PhD, director of preventive cardiology at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and author of Heart to Heart: A personal Plan for Creating a Heart-Healthy Family. Know your HDL or "good" cholesterol, total cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressue, weight, and body mass index (BMI) numbers.

TARGET YOUR TRIGLYCERIDES
Shoot for a level of 150 or lower, says Peter H Jones, MD, an associate professor of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. "Doctors usually talk about good and bad cholesterol and most folks will have that down, but triglyceries are a better marker for for high risk of diabetes and heart disease," says Jones. Triglycerides are also much more responsive to lifestyle changes than other types of blood fats. "Your triglycerides can drop 30% to 50% just by reducing saturated fats and reducing your weight," Jones says.

GO FOR NUTS AND PLANT STEROLS
Your heart will love you if you eat six walnuts before lunch and dinner, according to Michael Roizen, MD, the chief wellness officer for Cleveland Clinic and chairman of the clinic's Wellness Institute. Why? Because "walnuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which help to decrease inflammation in the arteries surrounding your heart, so they keep your heart functioning longer and better," promises Roizen, co-author of the best-selling You: Staying Young: The Owner's Manual for Extending your Warranty. "Walnuts will also make you feel fuller faster so you are less likely to overeat at meals." Other nuts such as peanuts, macadamia nuts, and almonds are a rich source of plant sterols, which block chelesterol absorption in the intestines. Studies have shown that eating foods enriched with plant sterols lowers LDL cholesterol. Eating 2-3 grams a day lowers LDL cholesterol by 6-15 %, without affecting HDL cholesterol or triglycerides. Sterols are found in all plant foods, but the highest concentrations are found in unrefined oils, such as vegetable, nut and olive oil. Some foods have also been fortified with plant sterols, including milk, juices and spreads.

DE-STRESS YOUR HEART
Stress raises blood pressure, heart rate, and levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Learn ways to relax and take it easy during the day

VOLUNTEER TO FIGHT HEART DIEASE
People who volunteer tend to live longer than people who don't. It's that simple, Mosca says. "We think this is because volunteering reduces isolation and increses social connectivity." Find a charity that means something to you and donate your time

DO NOT SMOKE
Smoking is a major risk factor for heart disese. Secondhand smoke counts too. A recent study found that people who are exposed to other people's smoke increased their risk of heart attacks by 69%, strokes by 56% and peripheral artery disease (PAD)by 67%.

STRENGTHEN YOUR HEART WITH WEIGHT TRAINING
"Strength training reduces your percentage of body fat, keeps your weight down, and increase your muscle mass and endurance for aerobic exercise." says Goldberg. "Do some weight training with free weights twice a week, making sure to focus on both your upper and lower body," she says. "As your aerobic capacity improves through strength training, your HDL cholesterol levels will increase."

MEASURE YOUR WAIST SIZE TO GAUGE YOUR HEART HEALTH
"Take a tape measure and measure your middle," Goldberg says. "If your waist size is more than 35 inches in women or more than 40 inches in men, this tells you that you are at increased risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes." The best way to reduce your waist size is to get active and reduce the amount of sugars and carbs in your diet.

REDUCE YOU BLOOD PRESSUE BY RDUCING YOUR SALT
High blood pressue is a major risk factor for heart disease, and reducing salt intake can help lower blood pressue. Cook with herbs in place of salt, and make sure you read food labels to see just how much salt is in prepared foods. Aim for less than 2.3 grams (about a teaspoon) of salt per day.

SLEEP TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT
People who sleep fewer than seven hours a night have higher blood pressure and higher levels of the stress harmone cortisol, making the arteries more vulnerable to plaque buildup. In fact, the latest research shows that people who do not get enough sleep are more than twice as likely as others to die of hear disease