Heart Disease: 10 Common Risk Factors

[LoShiNi]

There are many risk factors associated with coronary artery disease and heart attack. Certain risk factors, such as gender, age, or family history, cannot be controlled, while other risk factors, such as physical inactivity or high blood pressure, can be modified with treatment and lifestyle changes.

You will not necessarily develop heart disease if you have a risk factor. However, the more risk factors you have, the greater the chance that you will have problems unless you take actions to control the risk factors and protect your heart health.


Here are the leading factors that put a person at risk for heart disease according to the American Heart Association.


1. Age

Getting old is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease: risk of stroke doubles every ten years after the age of 55.


2. Gender

Your gender plays a role: if you are a man, you are at greater risk of cardiovascular disease than a pre-menopausal woman. But after the menopause, a woman’s risk is similar to a man’s. Men also have heart attacks earlier in life.


3. Family history

People with close relatives with heart disease are at greater risk of developing it themselves. For example, if both your parents have suffered from heart disease before the age of 55, your risk of this condition can rise to 50% compared to other people.


4. Physical inactivity

The World Health Organization claims that more than 60% of the world’s population is not sufficiently active. But physical activity can protect you from various health problems, including different forms of cardiovascular disease. Research suggests that doing more than 150 minutes of moderate physical activity every week will lower your risk of coronary heart disease by about 30%.


5. Ethnicity

Heart disease risk is higher among people with African and Asian ancestry.


6. Smoking

Obviously, tobacco use is not good for your health. Since the 1940s it is known that smoking is connected to cardiovascular disease and cancer. Experts say that cigarette smoking raises the risk of heart disease by two to four times. However, many people all around the world do not believe they are more likely to develop heart disease than nonsmokers. Smoking damages the lining of the blood vessels, increases clotting and fatty deposits in the arteries. Moreover, smoking can promote coronary artery spasm.


7. High cholesterol level

Your chances of developing cardiovascular disease increase when blood cholesterol rises. Doctors say that it is necessary to keep your total cholesterol level less than 0,017 pound/gallon. The good cholesterol (HDL) should be higher than 0,0033 pound/gallon for men and higher than 0,0042 pound/gallon for women. The bad cholesterol (LDL) should be less than 0,011 pound/gallon. It is important to remember that cholesterol levels mean various things to different people. Consult your doctor to receive full information on your health condition. Healthy diet and certain medications may help control your cholesterol level.


8. High blood pressure

High blood pressure makes your heart work harder, causing it to thicken and become stiffer. Uncontrolled hypertension increases your risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, and heart failure. If high blood pressure is accompanied by obesity, high cholesterol levels, diabetes, or smoking, the risk of heart attack increases several times.


9. Obesity

People who have excess body fat, particularly if a lot of it at the waist, are at higher risk of developing heart disease and stroke even if they have no other risk factors.


10. Diabetes

Diabetes significantly increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Uncontrolled high blood sugar levels cause damage to the blood vessels, making them more vulnerable to hypertension and atherosclerosis. According to the studies, people with diabetes have a two- to three-fold greater risk of heart failure than people without diabetes.