A recent 16-year follow-up of nearly 43,000 men enrolled in the Heart Professionals Study found a substantial reduction in heart disease, both non-fatal and fatal, in the men who followed these five healthy lifestyle measures:

1. They didn't smoke.
2. They exercised regularly at a moderate to vigorous level.
3. They moderated their alcohol consumption.
4. Their eating habits were heart-healthy.
5. They were not overweight, as reflected by maintenance of a body mass index (BMI) less than 25.

When they were enrolled in the study, all participants were free from coronary heart disease. Those who followed these healthy lifestyle practices had a 62 percent reduction in coronary events. Even among those men taking medications to lower their blood pressure or cholesterol levels, the number of coronary events was 57 percent lower in the men who followed these five lifestyle measures compared with the men who did not.

All too often, people who are given prescription medications for hypertension or elevated cholesterol levels believe that taking their pills is the only thing they must do (or can do) to prevent a heart attack. The results of this study show that pills, though they may deliver important health benefits, are not enough to protect people from a heart attack.