The style of life exerts a significant effect on the risk of occurrence of cardiovascular diseases, and health behaviours, realized within this framework, to a great extent are conditioned by modifiable factorsThe objective of the study was the identification of modifiable risk factors of cardiovascular diseases in patients who had undergone surgical treatment for heart diseases. The study covered 100 patients who had undergone heart surgery in the Cardiosurgery Ward at the Independent Public Regional Hospital in Zamość. Each patient completed a questionnaire form containing questions concerning demographic and social data, awareness and health behaviours, as well as cardiovascular risk factors. From among the risk factors exerting the greatest effect on health the respondents most frequently reported life style. The analysis of anti-health behaviours showed that the respondents most often mentioned cigarette smoking, inadequate nutrition, lack of skills for coping with stress, excessive physical effort and excessive alcohol consumption. One third of respondents (33%) admitted that they practiced physical exercises. The most frequent form of leisure was watching TV, walking and reading. The respondents defined their life style as: rather stressful and not too stressful, and over a half of them indicated that they coped with stress poorly or very poorly. As the main cause of the development of the disease the patients in the study mentioned stress, inadequate nutrition, cigarette smoking and genetic factors. The study showed a high frequency of the occurrence of anti-health behaviours among the patients examined. The most frequent risk factors of behaviour-dependent etiology were: cigarette smoking and inadequate nutrition. The style of life practiced by the respondents exerted an influence on the risk of occurrence of cardiovascular diseases. The respondents confirmed that they were familiar with the principles of health promoting life style; however, this knowledge was not confirmed by everyday behaviours. The awareness of the realization of anti-health behaviours was not the ultimate incentive for the implementation of behaviours conducive to health.