HealthInfo Canterbury

Reducing my risk of a heart attack

You are more likely to get angina or have a heart attack if you:

• have existing heart problems
• have a close family member (mother, father, sibling) who has had heart disease at an early age
• have diabetes
• are a smoker or ex-smoker
• have high blood cholesterol or high blood pressure
• are overweight or obese
• do not exercise
• are of Māori, Pacific, or Indian descent.

See your GP to find out about your risk of having heart problems.

What can I do to reduce my risk?

Maintain a healthy lifestyle, for example, by:

• being smokefree
• moving your body more
• eating and drinking for a healthy heart
• managing your stress
• reaching and maintaining a healthy weight
• managing your blood pressure
• managing your cholesterol
• cutting back on the amount of alcohol you drink
• managing your diabetes.

You may need medicines to help manage your heart health. Even so, it is still very important to manage your lifestyle to reduce your risk. Read the Heart Foundation's booklet on Lowering your risk of heart attack and stroke to learn what lifestyle changes you can make to keep your heart healthy.

Testing (screening) for heart disease

It's important to have regular check-ups with your GP. Men should start having regular heart checks from around the age of 45, and women should start having them from 55. If you have one of the risk factors listed above, or if you are of Māori, Pacific, or Indian descent you should start having them 10 years earlier (at age 35 for men, 45 for women). Women are not immune to heart disease – it is the biggest killer of women in New Zealand.

There are several tests for heart disease. Talk to your GP about what tests you need – they will refer you to a heart specialist if they think you need further tests.

You may choose to see a private heart specialist (cardiologist). You can find a private heart specialist by searching on Healthpages or Healthpoint.

  HealthInfo recommends the following pages

• Heart Foundation
  • Lowering your risk of a heart attack and stroke

    This booklet has information about what puts you at risk of having heart disease, and how to do something about it.

  • A guide to healthy heart eating booklet

    Advice on how to improve your heart health by changing what you eat.

  • Managing your risk

    More information about steps you can take to reduce your risk of angina and a heart attack

Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Endorsed by Cardiology GP liaison, Canterbury DHB, Page created August 2016. Last updated November 2018.

Sources

Page reference: 262630

Review key: HIHAT-110391