from Journal of the American College of Cardiology
Less than two percent of Americans conform to what is defined as ideal cardiovascular health, yet many elements of a healthy lifestyle are within our control. The Journal of the American College of Cardiology published a study suggesting that four out of five heart attacks could be prevented in men. Lifestyle choices of more than twenty thousand men were assessed—including diet, alcohol consumption, smoking, physical activity and belly fat. Men with the lowest risk were nonsmokers, who walked or biked at least forty minutes a day, consumed moderate amounts of alcohol, had a healthy diet and had a waist measurement below thirty-six and one-half inches. Such men lowered their risk of a heart attack eighty-six percent. The author of the study said it is not surprising that a healthy lifestyle would lead to lower risk of heart attack, but it is surprising how drastically the risk dropped.