Heart Disease is the most common cause of death in the United States for people over the age of 65. Men are more likely to have heart disease than women. There are several risk factors for heart disease that cannot be changed, such as heredity, but many heart disease risk factors are in your control, such as what you eat and how much exercise you get.
Sex, Age and Family History Are Factors of Heart Disease
There are several factors that put some people at risk for heart disease more than others. Sex, age and family determine your risk for heart disease. Men are more likely to develop heart disease than women. Men can develop heart disease at a younger age than women. Age is a risk factor in heart disease, too. The older you get, the greater your risk of developing any disease, including heart disease. Family history increases the risk of heart disease. If a direct family member, such as your father, developed heart disease and treated before the age of 55, the risk factor significantly increases.
Smoking and Heart Disease
Smoking increases the risk of heart disease--smokers are two to four times more likely than a non-smoker to develop the disease. Smoking affects the lungs, which requires your heart to pump more blood than a non-smoker. If you are a smoker, everything you do, from walking up a hill to yelling, increases the amount of work your heart has to expend. This can damage your heart.
High Blood Pressure and Heart Disease
High blood pressure is another risk factor for heart disease. There are no symptoms for high blood pressure, and it can put you at risk for stroke, kidney failure and heart attacks without you even knowing it. You should have your blood pressure taken by your physician periodically. If you have increased blood pressure, follow your physician's instructions and make the lifestyle changes he suggests. Many people do not, thus increasing their risk of heart disease.
High Cholesterol and Heart Disease
High cholesterol puts you at risk for heart disease. There are two types of cholesterol--good cholesterol (HDL) and bad (LDL). If your body is producing too much of the LDL cholesterol, it can cause arteries that pump blood to get clogged and become narrower, which can lead to angina or heart attacks.
Diabetes and Heart Disease
The risk of heart disease is up to five times higher for a person with diabetes compared with someone who doesn't have diabetes. Diabetes is the most common cause of heart attacks in people under 30, and they are less likely to survive a heart attack. Diabetics also have a higher risk of having high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels than a non diabetic.
Obesity and Heart Disease
Obesity can cause heart disease. If you are 30 percent over your ideal body weight you are considered obese. With obesity you have an increased risk of diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. In addition, obesity increases the strain on your heart by the heart having to pump harder when expending any type of energy such as walking up a flight of steps.
Tags: risk heart, heart disease, risk heart disease, blood pressure, your heart