Risk factors for heart disease, specifically coronary artery disease, a hardening and plaque buildup in the blood vessels of the heart that can lead to heart attacks and heart failure, come in two types: non-modifiable and modifiable. Non-modifiable risk factors include male sex, race, family history of heart disease and increasing age. Modifiable risk factors are important as heart disease is responsible for 40 percent of the deaths in the United States.
Tobacco
Tobacco, including smoking and chewing tobacco are major modifiable risk factors for heart disease, as well as other diseases such as many types of cancer and lung diseases such as emphysema and bronchitis. The risks are greater with more cigarettes smoked over time and female gender. Second hand or passive smoke is also a risk factor.
Hypertension
According to the National Institutes of Health, hypertension or high blood pressure also increases the risks of coranary artery disease as well as stroke. Most high blood pressure, 90 percent, is called essential or primary, and has no known cause, but is treatable with medical therapy such as diuretics, ACE inhibitors or beta blockers as well as other drugs. Ten percent of cases have a known curable cause.
High Cholesterol
Cholesterol comes in several forms. A good form is HDL or high density lipoprotein. A bad form as LDL or low density lipoprotein. Low HDL and high LDL are risk factors for heart disease that can be modified with exercise, medication and diet.
Diabetes Mellitus
Diabetes mellitus is a hormonal disorder in which either insufficient levels of insulin or resistance to insulin by tissues raise the blood sugar glucose abnormally high. Insulin is a hormone released by the pancreas that stimulates cells to take up glucose from the blood to either be stored as glycogen or used for energy. High levels of glucose in the blood damage vessel walls. Diabetes is controllable with medical management, proper diet and appropriate exercise.
Physical Inactivity and Obesity
Physical inactivity and obesity are also modifiable risk factor for heart disease. According to the World Heart Federation, 50 percent of heart disease may be linked to physical activity. Obesity alone is also a major risk factor, and also contributes to the development of diabetes.
Diet
Diets rich in saturated fat increases the risk of heart disease as well. Poor diets, especially those with excessive saturated fats are estimated to cause about 31 percent of coronary heart disease and 11 percent of stroke worldwide according the World Heart Federation.
Psychosocial Factors
The term psychosocial refers to psychological and social factors. Both are factors in the development of heart disease. Poverty, social isolation, stress, depression and anxiety increase the risks of stroke and coronary artery disease.
