Patients who show signs of congestive heart failure are given a variety of medications to decrease strain on the heart and to encourage the heart to beat more forcefully. Gentle exercise is recommended, but nothing that requires significant exertion. Habits such as smoking, heavy drinking, and eating high-fat foods have to go. As a preventive measure, most heart attack survivors take a daily aspirin tablet to thin the blood. Other drugs may also be prescribed, depending on the patient.
Some patients require invasive procedures to improve blood flow to the heart over the long term.
Lifestyle Regular aerobic exercise greatly enhances efforts to prevent or recover from heart attack. If you already have a heart condition, schedule a stress test before beginning an exercise program in order to determine how much exertion is safe. Heart attack survivors are advised to exercise with other people rather than alone during the first months of recovery. Many community health and recreation centers offer physician-supervised cardiovascular rehabilitation programs. Relaxation has also been shown to provide relief from pain, which may be encountered during the recovery period.