6 ways to reduce heart attack risk

Almost every minute of every day, an American dies of a heart attack.

You can't change some risk factors (male, over 65, family history), but you can manage others. Those spell out WATCHeS:

Weight.

Excess body fat makes the heart work harder and can raise your blood pressure, cholesterol and risk of diabetes.

Activity.

If you do moderately intense exercise on most days, you'll cut your risk of heart disease and boost your quality of life.

Tobacco.

A smoker has up to four times greater risk of getting heart disease than a non-smoker.

Cholesterol.

Aim for an HDL (I call it "healthy" cholesterol) level of 60 or higher. LDL ("lousy" cholesterol) should be less than 130 for most of us but well below 100 in people with heart disease. Get your triglycerides under 150.

High blood pressure.

Buy a monitor at the pharmacy; your reading should be under 120/80. If not, talk to your doctor.

Sugar (diabetes).

Most diabetics die from cardiovascular disease, so make it a priority to correct elevated blood sugar levels with help from your doctor.

For more information, visit the American Heart Association online at americanheart.org.