Routes to a healthy heart: You're not alone

Heart attack (also known as a myocardial infarction or MI) is one of the most common diseases of our time. In fact, in many countries of the world it is the single largest cause of death. More than 20% of all deaths in Europe are due to heart attacks.

The good news is that lots of people recover from a heart attack and are able to resume a normal life. Advances in medicine during the past three decades mean that in many countries the chances of surviving a heart attack once you enter hospital are much better than they used to be.

The medical care you can expect after you leave hospital has also become more sophisticated, with rehabilitation clinics to help you recover your previous health and vigour, investigations and medications to monitor your progress and help reduce the risk of another heart attack, and connections to a network of informal and voluntary groups, charities and associations that can provide advice and experience about specific concerns you may have. Many of these groups are run by or involve people who have themselves made successful recoveries from heart attacks and who can therefore speak from personal experience about matters that may be causing you concern.

You can see now why this page is entitled 'You're not alone'. There's a huge amount of knowledge, information, and expertise available to people who have survived a heart attack – people like you. With these resources, and with help from family, friends and health professionals, you have good prospects for a healthy future. This does not mean, however, that it would be wise to go back to living exactly as you were before your heart attack. The chances are that aspects of your lifestyle contributed to you having a heart attack and some changes may be desirable to reduce the risk of you having another. On this website you can find information on the major modifiable factors that increase the risk of a heart attack and some suggestions of what you can do to help yourself by reducing the threat posed by these factors.

For information on what happened to your heart, click here
For information on ways to reduce your risk of another heart attack, click here
For ideas on how to eat a healthy diet, click here
For ideas on how to take more exercise, click here
For ideas on how to loose excess weight, click here
For ideas on how to stop smoking, click here
For ideas on how to reduce your intake of alcohol, click here
For ideas on how to reduce your high blood cholesterol, click here
For ideas on how to reduce your high blood pressure, click here
For ideas on how to manage your diabetes more successfully, click here
For ideas on how to remember to take your prescribed medication, click here
For information on the drugs you may have been prescribed, click here
For information on complementary and alternative therapies, click here
For information on some of the test that you may have to undergo/have undergone, click here
For information on resuming sex after a heart attack, click here
For information on OMACOR^® and how it can help you after your heart attack, click here