The Top 5 Things to Do to Prevent 80% of Heart Attacks and Strokes

by | Apr 2, 2022 | Uncategorized

April 2, 2022, Jennie Johnson, RN-BC, PhD

Living for a Healthy Heart, LLC

Studies completed all over the world have shown that 80% of all heart attacks and strokes could be prevented if people did 5 things (also known as the Simple 7):

  1. Ate a healthier diet.
  2. Increased physical activity.
  3. Managed a healthier weight.
  4. Quit smoking.
  5. Controlled blood pressure, glucose and LDL (bad) cholesterol.

Great, now that we know what to do…why don’t we do it? Psychologists have taught us a great deal about motivation. World renowned expert Dr. James Prochaska found that only 20% of us have enough motivation to really change a harmful behavior. 

In his book, Changing for Good, he stated that 80% of us are stuck in a non-action stage. The stages range from someone not interested in changing (Denial), thinking about it (Precontemplation), trying the change with small baby steps (Preparation) to doing it (Action) and maintaining it (Maintenance).

Further, complicating the problem is that most well-meaning advice from healthcare providers only work for the 20% in the action stage. What do the rest of us 80% do? The answer is to start with small, doable, little baby steps that we can do.

  • If you’re inactive…take a walk 5 or 10 minutes away from your house while listening to music.
  • Add an apple or orange to your diet each day.
  • Use a smaller dinner plate. You’ll feel psychologically fuller.

In the next blogs I’ll tackle each of these 7 things with simple strategies to consider reducing your risk for a longer healthier life.

Source:

“Simple 7”, American Heart Association, https://www.heart.org/en/professional/workplace-health/lifes-simple-7.

Prochaska, J. Norcross & C. Diclemente, (1994) Changing for Good.

Johnson, Wake Up Call 911: It’s Time to Reduce your Risk for a Heart Attack and Stroke (2015).

Whether you think you can or you think you can’t…you’re right. Henry Ford

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ã All rights reserved 2022, Jennie E. Johnson, RN-BC, PhD