According to new research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, young women who follow six lifestyle guidelines can all but "heart attack-proof" themselves. The study, which followed nurses over the course of two decades, starting around age 37, identified the six lifestyle factors of greatest impact on heart health.
Women who adhered to all six guidelines lowered their heart disease risk by 92 percent. Based on that, researchers estimated that more than 70 percent of heart attacks could be prevented by implementing the following:
#1 - Healthy diet
#2 - Normal BMI (body fat % is actually more accurate)
#3 - Getting at least 2.5 hours of exercise each week
#4 - Watching television seven or fewer hours per week
#5 - Not smoking
#6 - Limiting alcohol intake to one drink or less per day
None of these factors should come as a surprise, but the impact they collectively have on your cardiac risk is impressive. The results of this study echo the results of a 2014 study5 concluding that essentially the same health habits could prevent nearly 80 percent of first-time heart attacks in men.
With respect to BMI, it should be noted that your waist-to-hip ratio is a more reliable risk predictor because it reflects visceral fat. And more reliable still would be an accurate assessment of body fat percentage.
SOURCE: Mercola.com
