Will You Have a Heart Attack?

KICK THE BUTT One public health initiative can dramatically cut heart risk—and save your life No matter how you feel about smoking bans, new research shows they do help—particularly in curbing one of the top killers of men. A new report shows that hospitalizations for heart attacks fell sharply in Pueblo, Colorado, after a law that banned smoking in public places and workplaces took effect. There were 399 heart attack hospitalizations in the city in the 18 months before the smoke-free law went into effect on July 1, 2003, compared with 237 hospitalizations for heart attacks in the 18-month period that began a year and a half after the law went into effect. Researchers also studied two nearby areas that do not have indoor smoking bans and found that there was no significant decline in hospitalizations for heart attacks during the same time periods in those areas, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. So if you’re not already planning on kicking the habit in 2009, do it for your heart (and lungs, and family…). If you’re not a smoker, save your heart with these 100 healthy habits and eat the five best foods for your heart. You can also protect your heart’s health with supplements and by getting more exercise. After all, it’s about time you laid down the law on your health.