Change for your heart

It’s well-established that healthy lifestyle changes can help cut the risk of a heart attack, but a recent study suggests adopting healthy behavior affects cardiovascular health more drastically than previously thought.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, found that as many as four out of five heart attacks in men may be prevented by moderate alcohol use, not smoking, regular exercise and maintaining a healthy weight and diet, according to HealthyCal.org. The researchers followed more than 20,000 Swedish men, ages 45 to 79, for 11 years, using questionnaires to assess those risk factors.

Men with active lifestyles, minimal amounts of abdominal fat and diets rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, whole grains and fish had an 86 percent lower heart attack risk.