The American Heart Association recommends that heart attack prevention begin by age 20. This means assessing your risk factors and working to keep them low. For those over 40, or those with multiple risk factors, it's important to calculate the risk of developing cardiovascular disease in the next 10 years. Many first-ever heart attacks or strokes are fatal or disabling, so prevention is critical. The sooner you begin comprehensive risk reduction, the longer and stronger your heart will beat.

• Learn the ABCs of heart attack prevention
  Preventing a heart attack is simpler than you may think. It's as easy as ABC to reduce your risk and live a longer, stronger life.
• Live Better with Life's Simple Seven
  Planning healthy living may also be simpler than you think. Take our My Life Check assessment and draft your personalized strategy for living a longer, stronger life.

Perhaps you need some prevention motivation? We're here to help you learn and live. For the smartest prevention plan, everyone needs to understand the following.

• What is a heart attack?
  Learn what happens when you have a heart attack and how that affects your heart health.
• What puts me at risk for heart attack?
  Some of the risks for heart attack can be modified, treated or controlled and some can't. The more risk factors you have, the greater your chance of developing coronary heart disease or having a heart attack.
• Test your heart I.Q.
  Think you know what's best for your heart? Test your Heart I.Q. with one of our Healthy Heart Quizzes, including blood pressure, cholesterol, lifestyle and taking medication.