Any factor that decreases blood supply to the heart muscle and the brain increases your risk for experiencing a heart attack or a stroke. Some risk factors are modifiable which means you can decrease the risk by making lifestyle changes; others like age, gender and race cannot be changed. The American Heart Association warns that the risk of heart attack and stroke increases when multiple risk conditions are present. Learn what your risks are and which ones you can modify to help prevent heart attack and stroke.
Smoking
Ever since the 1960 Framingham Heart Study report was released, organizations like the AHA and the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute have warned people about the cardiovascular risks of smoking. Smoking causes vasoconstriction, or narrowing of blood vessels, which decreases blood flow to tissues and organs. A byproduct of smoking is carbon monoxide which replaces oxygen in red blood cells. Rather than bringing oxygen to tissues, the red blood cells are then carrying carbon monoxide. Essentially this causes hypoxemia or a condition of low oxygen in the body. Vasoconstriction and hypoxemia together greatly increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. Smoking is a modifiable risk factor.
Elevated Cholesterol Levels
High serum (blood) cholesterol is a risk factor for heart attack and stroke because elevated cholesterol leads to an increase in arterial plaque formation. The authors of "Medical-Surgical Nursing: Critical Thinking for Collaborative Care," explain that plaque is formed by deposits of lipids (fat) in the arteries. This condition is called atherosclerosis. Plaque deposits can cause arteries to rupture or the plaque deposit may break free and travel through the arterial system in the heart or brain until lodging in a smaller artery. Blood flow to the area fed by this blocked artery will be lost. Tissue death will result and symptoms of either a heart attack or stroke will occur.
Cholesterol levels can be controlled with proper diet, exercise and, in some cases, medication. Talk with your doctor to find out what you need to do to modify this risk factor.
Diabetes
The National Institute of Neurologic Disorders and Stroke report that diabetes increases your risk for developing stroke. Diabetes, especially poorly controlled diabetes, causes decreased circulation throughout the body. Diabetes also damages the integrity of blood vessels leading to increased clot formation as well as risk for vessel rupture. These conditions increase your risk for heart attack and stroke.
Hypertension
High blood pressure, called hypertension, is a primary risk factor for heart attack and stroke. Hypertension decreases blood flow to the heart muscle and brain. It can cause aneurysms (weakening in blood vessel) to rupture and it increases the workload on the heart. You can modify this risk factor by controlling your blood pressure.
Heart Disease
Heart disease is a risk factor for stroke. Irregular heart rhythms like atrial fibrillation, malfunctioning heart valves and heart failure can cause the formation of clots in the heart chambers. These clots can break free and travel to the brain causing a stroke.
References
- American Heart Association: Circulation: Journal for the American Heart Association
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute: Who is at Risk for Coronary Artery Disease
- "Medical-Surgical Nursing: Critical Thinking for Collaborative Care"; Donna D. Ignatavicius MS RN, & M. Linda Workman Ph.D; 2006
- National Institute of Neurologic Disorders and Stroke: Brain Basics: Preventing Stroke
