K19 -- May 2010 -- Four Steps to Heart Health

Intro: What can you do to reduce your risk of heart attack or stroke? There are lots of things that help. But doctors at Mayo Clinic have narrowed the list down to four. Four things you can do to dramatically slash your chances of dying of a heart attack or stroke.

"I'M KIND OF LUCKY I'M ALIVE, YOU KNOW."

NICK PATHOULAS HAS A HISTORY OF BAD CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE.

"ALL OF A SUDDEN I HEAR THIS 'UH-OH'. THAT'S ALL I REMEMBER AND THEN I WENT OUT. AND WHEN THEY BROUGHT ME BACK THEY WERE CLAPPING AND HAVING A GOOD TIME AND I SAID, 'WHAT'D I MISS?' AND THEY SAID, 'NICK, WE LOST YOU. BUT YOU'RE BACK.'"

NICK IS BACK BETTER THAN EVER. BUT HE'S FIRST TO ADMIT THAT, FOR MANY YEARS, HE DIDN'T TAKE GOOD CARE OF HIS HEART HEALTH.

"I'D EAT A STEAK OR TWO A WEEK. MAYBE THREE."

NICK SAYS HE DIDN'T EAT RIGHT, WAS OVERWEIGHT, DIDN'T EXERCISE AND HE SMOKED.

"IT'S REALLY AMAZING HOW IMPORTANT OUR LIFESTYLE IS."

CARDIOLOGIST DR. STEPHEN KOPECKY SAYS FOUR LIFESTYLE HABITS WILL DRAMATICALLY REDUCE YOUR RISK OF HEART ATTACK OR STROKE. ONE: DON'T SMOKE. TWO: HAVE A BODY MASS INDEX OR BMI OF 25 OR LOWER. THREE: EAT FIVE SERVINGS OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES A DAY. AND FOUR: EXERCISE VIGOROUSLY FOR AT LEAST 2 1/2 HOURS PER WEEK.

"IF YOU CAN ACHIEVE THOSE AND DO THOSE FOUR THINGS, IF YOU CAN DO THEM FOR A COUPLE OF DECADES, IT WILL LOWER YOUR RISK OF HEART ATTACK AND STROKE BY 87 PERCENT."

87 PERCENT! AND IF YOU DO THEM FOR FOUR YEARS IT LOWERS YOUR RISK 40 PERCENT. ANY AMOUNT HELPS. BUT THE TRUTH IS ONLY 3 PERCENT OF US DO ALL FOUR.

"THESE FOUR THINGS ARE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT, HARD TO ACHIEVE, BUT THEY HAVE PROFOUND BENEFITS. MORE THAN WHAT WE'VE FOUND IN OTHER STANDARD THERAPIES."

"HA HA, I CAN DO IT!"

THERAPIES SUCH AS CHOLESTEROL LOWERING DRUGS AND EVEN BYPASS SURGERY. SO…TAKE IT FROM NICK. HE'S ADOPTED THE FOUR HEART HEALTHY HABITS AND FEELS BETTER THAN EVER.

"I'M A LUCKY MAN."

FOR MEDICAL EDGE, I'M VIVIEN WILLIAMS.

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Dr. Kopecky says the earlier you start working the four healthy habits into your life, the bigger the benefit. But starting at any age will help reduce your risk of dying of a heart attack or stroke.

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