Many things could trigger a heart attack, but in order to prevent most cardiac events, you really need to start at the prevention stage, rather than trying to avoid everything that might trigger an attack.

A good place to start is to go through this checklist on How to Determine Your Cardiovascular Health, which includes both blood tests and simple do-at-home tests to help you determine if you’re at risk of developing heart disease. About 20 percent of heart attacks go undetected, so checking your susceptibility is a good idea.

• Boost Your Good Cholesterol and Lower Your Triglyceride Levels: Many people strive to reduce their cholesterol levels to protect their heart, but high levels of good (HDL) cholesterol are believed to protect your heart from disease. Meanwhile, high triglycerides are an incredibly potent risk factor for heart disease. In combination, high triglycerides and low HDL levels are an even bigger risk; this ratio is even more important to your heart health than the standard good vs. bad cholesterol ratio.
  
  In fact, one study found that people with the highest ratio of triglycerides to HDL had 16 times the risk of heart attack as those with the lowest ratio of triglycerides to HDL. So while you strive to keep your HDL cholesterol levels up, you’ll want to decrease your triglycerides. How? You can increase your HDL levels by exercising and getting plenty of omega-3 fats like those from krill oil. Triglycerides are easily decreased by exercising and avoiding grains and sugars in your diet.

• Get Enough Omega-3 Fats: Omega-3 fats (found in fish oil and krill oil) are extremely beneficial for your heart. Taking a high-quality omega-3 supplement regularly is one of the easiest ways to help promote your heart health.

• Get Your Iron Levels Checked: Iron is nature’s rusting agent. If you have excessive levels in your body you are at risk of major oxidation, or premature aging. Excess iron will also increase your risk of heart disease. If you are a man, or a woman in menopause, you should get your iron levels tested and, if they’re too high, take steps to reduce them.

• Keep Your Insulin Levels in Check: Elevated insulin levels can lead to insulin resistance, a major risk factor for heart disease. To keep your insulin levels where they should be, get plenty of exercise and follow my nutrition plan, which will automatically limit your intake of foods that raise insulin levels.

• Keep Your Mouth Healthy: Gum disease can trigger heart attacks, so make sure you keep your teeth, gums and mouth clean.

• Exercise. It’s more effective than any drug for treating heart disease and should be your first line of defense against heart attacks.
• Reduce your intake of grains, corn-based foods (and corn-syrup-sweetened beverages), potatoes and all sweets.
• Keep your stress levels under control using an energy psychology tool like the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT).