Heart attacks are a medical emergency that require immediate treatment.
The condition, which is also known as a myocardial infarction, is caused by the heart’s blood supply suddenly becoming blocked.
Some simple diet or lifestyle changes could lower your risk of a heart attack.
But how are you supposed to know whether you’re at risk of the condition?
A simple way to reveal your chances of a heart attack is to touch your toes, it’s been revealed.
Bend over and try to touch your toes. The further you can reach, the less likely you are to have a heart attack, said Dr Mehmet Oz.
“There’s a quick way to test your odds at home,” he said.
“Stand up. Bend over and touch your toes. Don’t bounce, just gently bend over and touch your toes – try to relax your hips.
“The beautiful thing about this is the further you can reach, the more flexible your arteries tend to be.
“The elastic tissue in those arteries are likened to the elastic tissue in our muscles.
“It turns out, the arteries in the body, just like the muscles in the back of your legs, have to be able to let the blood go through.”
When the blood courses through the main artery that runs down the back, it opens up and relaxes, said Dr Oz.
If you can touch your toes, hopefully your arteries will be elastic, he added. “It’s sort of like cooked pasta – nice and malleable.”
But, if you can’t touch your toes, it’s more likely that your arteries aren’t as pliable.
You can improve the elasticity of your arteries – and thus your heart attack risk – by doing stretches every day, he said.
Stretching for 30 minutes a day, three times a week, could lower your heart attack risk, claimed Dr Oz.
The exercises could improve arteries’ flexibility by 23 per cent.
Being active could also lower your blood pressure – a cause of myocardial infarction.
All adults should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity every week.
Speak to a GP if you’re worried about your risk of a heart attack.