Cardiovascular disease or heart disease is a general term used to describe many conditions that can lead to a heart attack or stroke. Some forms of heart disease occur at birth while others are developed later in life. Cardiovascular disease can run in the family or be due to poor lifestyle choices. One way to determine your chances of getting a disease is to know your risk factors. While some risk factors are beyond your control to change, some are within your ability to change. Reducing your risk factors plays a large role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease.
Identification
The four most common forms of cardiovascular disease are coronary heart disease or atherosclerosis, stroke, high blood pressure and heart failure, according to the American Heart Association. These conditions can alter your heart's ability to deliver blood and oxygen to the body. The good news is that there are many steps you can take to prevent heart disease. This is important because, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. This includes women as well. Heart disease kills more women than all forms of cancer including breast cancer. The key is prevention, which includes making healthy lifestyle choices, getting screened and knowing your risk factors. In addition, the CDC recommends familiarizing yourself with the warning signs of a heart attack and stroke and acting quickly to get help.
Features
The World Health Organization states that an important step in preventing cardiovascular disease is to know your numbers. This includes blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar or blood glucose. High levels of any of these raises your risk of disease. All of these numbers can be high without causing any symptoms until a heart attack or stroke occurs. Depending on your individual risk factors, your doctor will instruct you as to how often you should be tested
Screenings
The first step in prevention is to know your risk. Ideal blood pressure is about 120/80. Once your number reaches 120 to 139 over 80 to 89, you may be diagnosed with pre-hypertension. This means you are at a greater risk for developing high blood pressure. You also need to watch your cholesterol. Once your total cholesterol reading reaches 200 to 239 mg/dL it is considered borderline high. Along with total cholesterol count, you need to know your low density lippoproteins or LDL level which should be less than 100 mg/dl and your triglyceride level, which should be lower than 150 mg/dL. High density lippoproteins, or HDLs, are the good guys and can help to prevent cardiovascular disease. Your goal is to raise your level to 40 mg/dL or higher. Diabetes, which causes high levels of blood sugar, should also be managed. Over time high levels of blood sugar or blood glucose can cause physical damage to your blood vessels and contribute to heart disease. Your blood sugar levels can be high without any warning signs so testing is essential. If your A1C test or fasting plasma glucose test level is between 100 mg/dl to 125 mg/dl you may be diagnosed with pre-diabetes. With all of the screenings, if you catch problems early on, lifestyle changes alone may be able to help you prevent heart disease.
Other Risk Factors
Along with getting screened you should also be aware of any other risk factors you may have for cardiovascular disease. Having risk factors does not mean you will automatically develop a heart condition. It does mean that you will need to take extra steps to prevent it as you are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease compared to someone who does not have risk factors. The Yale School of Medicine claims that being over age 65 and male puts you at a higher risk. If cardiovascular disease runs in your family you may be genetically predisposed to developing it. African-Americans also tend to be at a greater risk. Smoking, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle will all raise your risk even higher. While you can not change your age, gender or nationality you can choose lifestyle behaviors that reduce your risk.
Prevention/Solution
The Mayo Clinic recommends quitting smoking to help lower your risk because within one year of quitting your risk drops significantly. All types of exercise and activities can help. While current guidelines suggest getting at least thirty minutes of moderate level activity on most days of the week, just taking a short walk, working in the garden and doing daily chores all add up. Eating a diet high that is in vegetables, fruits and whole grains and low in fat, salt and cholesterol is essential. Aim to maintain a healthy weight by keeping your body mass index under 25. If you are male keep your waist measurement under 40 inches and if you are female under 35 inches. Losing just 10 percent of your current weight may cause a drop in blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
References
- American Heart Association: Common Cardiovascular Diseases
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Heart Disease Facts
- World Health Organization: What Can I Do To Avoid a Heart Attack or a Stroke?
- Yale School of Medicine: Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors
- Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research: 5 Medication-Free Strategies to Help Prevent Heart Disease
