Overview

While some factors that influence the development of an arrhythmia can't be controlled (like your genes), others can. Many arrhythmias arise because of some form of heart disease. For example, atherosclerosis--when arteries become clogged with fatty deposits--can lead to bradycardia or tachycardia. So the same guidelines that apply to preventing heart disease also apply to preventing arrhythmias. Those include:

Health Tips from Dr. Healy: Video: What men need to know about their cholesterol Choose another disease or condition... Allergic Rhinitis Allergies, Food Allergy & Asthma Center Alzheimer's Disease Anxiety Aortic Aneurysms Arrhythmia Arthritis, Osteo- (OA) Arthritis, Rheumatoid (RA) Asthma Atopic Dermatitis Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Back Pain Brain Tumor Bones, Joints & Muscles Center Breast Cancer Brain & Behavior Center Brain Tumor Cancer Center    Brain Tumor    Breast Cancer    Cancer Prevention    Clinical Trials    Colorectal Cancer    Endometrial Cancer    Living With and Beyond Cancer    Lung Cancer    Prostate Cancer    Skin Cancer Cardiomyopathy Cataracts Cholesterol Control Clinical Trials Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Colorectal Cancer Congenital Heart Disease Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) Crohn's Disease Depression Diabetes Center Diabetes, Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Digestive Disorders Center Eczema Endometrial Cancer Erectile Dysfunction (ED) Eye & Vision Center Fibromyalgia Food Allergies Gallstone Disease Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) GERD Glaucoma Hay Fever Headache Heart Center Hepatitis A Hepatitis B Hepatitis C High Blood Pressure Hypertension Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) Impotence Insomnia Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Living With and Beyond Cancer Losing Weight Lung Cancer Macular Degeneration Memory Loss Osteoarthritis (OA) Osteoporosis Parkinson's Disease Peptic Ulcer Prediabetes Prostate Cancer Respiratory Disorders Center Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Sexual & Reproductive Health Center Sinusitis Skin Cancer Sleep Apnea Sleep Center Stroke Type 1 Diabetes Type 2 Diabetes Ulcerative Colitis (UC) Weight Control What is your heart risk? Use our calculator to find out. See the top five online resources for heart information Arrhythmia-Related Clinical Trials Information Email this page Print this section

• Diet: According to the American Heart Association, a heart-healthy diet is high in fruits and vegetables (at least five servings a day) and in whole grain foods. It includes lean protein sources like fish, beans, and low-fat dairy products, derives most of its fat from unsaturated fats like olive oil, and avoids saturated fats, trans-fats, and cholesterol.
• Obesity: It's also important to balance the calories you eat with calories you burn through daily activity and exercise. Obesity is linked to heart disease.
• Exercise: In addition to helping control weight, daily exercise that works the aerobic system--like brisk walking, running, bicycling, swimming, or even household chores--is good for your heart.
• Smoking and alcohol: The American Heart Association recommends you quit smoking and restrict alcohol use to one drink a day for women and two a day for men (a drink equals 12 ounces of beer, 4 ounces of wine or 1 ounce of 100-proof spirits). Excessive alcohol consumption, even a single episode, can affect the electrical conductance system of the heart, resulting in atrial fibrillation.
• Stress: Daily stress has also been linked to heart disease, so remove as much stress as you can from your daily life.

This section also discusses other steps you can take to prevent arrhythmias.