Heart attacks aren't just for older, overweight men with high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Doctors are seeing patients in their 40s come in with heart disease due to self-inflicted risk factors.

Beware of Risk Factors "In half of the cases of heart attacks, the heart attack is the first time the patient finds out about heart disease," says Richard A. Stein, director of preventive cardiology at Beth Israel Medical Center and spokesperson for the American Heart Association. More than 60 percent of heart attacks have to do with simple lifestyle issues, such as diet, exercise and cigarette smoking, and easy to detect and treat medical issues such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. "Men need to know about the risk factors that predict the majority of heart disease cases," Stein says

Stress Less

Research shows that not only do you have to watch your diet, exercise, and avoid smoking and excessive alcohol to prevent a heart attack, it's imperative to be aware of your family history and to manage your stress level.

Release the Pressure

But it's possible to lessen your risk of heart disease by using calming stress management techniques, say these experts. Duke University Medical researchers conducted a study with 107 patients who had a history of heart problems. To lower the risk of future heart attacks, researchers divided the patients into three treatment groups; a third of the group exercised, another third received standard care, and the last third learned stress management techniques through 4 months of therapy and training. The stress management group fared the best with a 74% reduction in cardiac events over the 5-year analysis.

Stress management techniques can include getting therapy, or be as simple as taking up yoga, practicing tai chi or using meditation techniques for five minutes every day. "It's proven that relaxation techniques lower blood pressure and improve bloodflow," Dr. Wittsetin says.

1. Be aware of major risk factors: Hypertension, high cholesterol, cigarette smoking, having a family history of heart disease, and diabetes are all major risk factors that could increase your probability of having a heart attack.

2. Make a lifestyle change: Think of the things that are in your power to change, like improving your diet, getting exercise, and quitting smoking. Eat more fruits and drink more fluids daily.

3. Make an appointment to be evaluated: If you have a family history of heart attacks, or you think you're at risk, spend 45-minutes to an hour with a preventive cardiologist at your local hospital. The evaluation and blood test will reveal your HDL and LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting lipid profile, blood pressure, and family history.

4. Don't deny cardiac symptoms: If you're experiencing "shortness of breath or chest pains from exertion, get to the hospital right away,"