Skip to Main Content
Care calculator »  heart attack »

How can you prevent a heart attack?

Key risk factors for heart disease are high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, obesity, and smoking. 

If you have any of these conditions, you should be aware of the higher risk you may face. Managing your high blood pressure and cholesterol with medications and a healthy diet will also help obesity. Smoking causes plaque development and stiffens the arteries. 

There are many smoking cessation products and programs out there for people who are motivated to quit! Your doctor’s office can give you a guide with some great pointers, or the American Heart Association (AHA) has a wealth of resources to get you started. Some insurance programs also pay for smoking cessation products.

Sometimes heart disease runs in families. If you have a history of heart attacks in your maternal or paternal family, it is a good idea to mention that to your doctor. In this case, not all heart disease is preventable; however, a heart-healthy diet will help, and regular checkups can help spot the early warning signs. 

Some conditions are more likely to be inherited, such as:

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy – thickening of the heart ventricles, causing your heart to pump harder than normal. It can cause chest pain, shortness of breath, or palpitations.

Dilated Cardiomyopathy – the heart muscle becomes stretched, causing enlarged heart chambers. 

It can cause palpitations, fatigue, shortness of breath, and swelling of the legs.

High Cholesterol – That’s right – it’s not all based on diet alone. Some people are just more prone to a high cholesterol level. If this is inherited, it typically begins at a young age, and you have a high LDL (the “bad” cholesterol – HDL is the “good” one).

What is a heart attack?

What causes blockage?

What are the best treatments for a heart attack?

Can a heart attack fix itself?

Is a heart attack the same as cardiac arrest?

* Savings estimate based on a study of more than 1 billion claims comparing self-pay (or cash pay) prices of a frequency-weighted market basket of procedures to insurer-negotiated rates for the same. Claims were collected between July 2017 and July 2019. R.Lawrence Van Horn, Arthur Laffer, Robert L.Metcalf. 2019. The Transformative Potential for Price Transparency in Healthcare: Benefits for Consumers and Providers. Health Management Policy and Innovation, Volume 4, Issue 3.

Sidecar Health offers and administers a variety of plans including ACA compliant and excepted benefit plans. Coverage and plan options may vary or may not be available in all states.

Your actual costs may be higher or lower than these cost estimates. Check with your provider and health plan details to confirm the costs that you may be charged for a service or procedure.You are responsible for costs that are not covered and for getting any pre-authorizations or referrals required by your health plan. Neither payments nor benefits are guaranteed. Provider data, including price data, provided in part by Turquoise Health.

The site is not a substitute for medical or healthcare advice and does not serve as a recommendation for a particular provider or type of medical or healthcare.