Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States according to the American Heart Association. It is important to know the risk factors of heart disease. Changing your lifestyle, diet and habits can significantly reduce your risk of developing heart disease.
Heredity and Gender
Family history cannot be changed, so anything that runs in the family from heart disease to high blood pressure has a potential to be inherited in the next generation. In addition to inherited genes, families often live in similar environmental surroundings, which can contribute to heart disease risk factors. Additionally, men are more likely than women to be affected by heart disease. The Mayo Clinic states that after menopause, women's risk for heart disease goes up.
Age
As people age, things change within the body. Sometimes the arteries become harder or clogged with plaque (fatty deposits) and make it harder for the heart to pump blood. Just getting older increases the risks for heart disease. The National Institutes of Health state that men's risks for heart disease goes up after the age of 45, while womens risk rises after the age of 55.
Lifestyle
Your current lifestyle is a big determining factor for developing heart disease. Positive changes to lifestyle have the largest effect on decreasing the risk for heart disease. Eating foods that are lower in fat helps keep fat from building up in the arteries. The National Institutes of Health recommend a diet that is low in saturated fat and low in salt, sugar and alcohol. Eating a healthy diet also helps keep extra weight off.
Excess weight is associated with many health conditions that increase risks for heart disease. Having extra belly weight alone is linked to a higher risk of heart disease and stroke, according to the American Heart Association.
Smokers have an increased risk of developing coronary heart disease because of the nicotine and carbon monoxide in cigarettes. These items raise blood pressure and compete with oxygen in the bloodstream. The National Institutes of Health indicate that quitting smoking can cut risk factors for heart disease in half within the course of a year. This statement remains true no matter how long someone has been smoking.
Being physically active on a regular basis is the most heart-healthy choice anyone can make. Regular vigorous to moderate exercise helps keep the blood vessels healthy as well as lowering the likelihood of developing other health conditions that lead to heart disease. The more active someone is on a daily basis, the less likely she is tol develop heart disease.
Health Conditions
Diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol and triglycerides all increase the chances of developing heart disease. All of these diseases eventually lead to an increase of plaque buildup in the artery walls as well as stiffening and hardening of the blood vessel walls. Having a healthy lifestyle not only reduces the risk for heart disease. but all of these other diseases can be reduced or eliminated with correct lifestyle choices.
