Risk Factors For Heart Disease You Should Be Aware Of
There are many risk factors for heart disease, but there are a few in particular that everybody ought to be aware of. These are the most typical risk factors, accounting for the great majority of cardiovascular disease.
Diabetes: People with diabetes have double to as much as quadruple the risk of dying of heart attack or stroke that someone who has already had a previous heart attack but doesn’t have diabetes. This is most prominent in those with Type 1 diabetes, but there’s also an ongoing trial about whether or not controlling blood sugar levels could also halve the risk in patients with Type 2 diabetes. Unfortunately, patients with heart disease might not even have their blood sugar levels checked, and people with diabetes may not routinely have their heart checked.
Smoking: It’s been known for many years that smoking increases your risk of all types of diseases. It’s a major cause of atherosclerosis, which is when fatty substances build up in the arteries. In patients with coronary artery disease, the arteries become narrowed, which decreases the supply of blood to the heart. This can lead to angina, and may even eventually lead to heart attack.
Physical Inactivity: Regular physical activity, especially aerobic exercise, can help prevent cardiovascular disease, heart disease, and stroke. Lack of physical activity is strongly linked to cardiovascular mortality. Physical activity can also control blood cholesterol, diabetes, blood pressure, and it can help prevent and correct obesity.
Obesity: Obesity is a major risk factor for many types of diseases. Coronary heart disease is one of these. There are several reasons why obesity can increase the risk of heart disease. For one thing, it can raise blood cholesterol and triglycerides. It lowers HDL cholesterol, and raises LDL. It causes hypertension. It can cause some people to develop diabetes, which can significantly increase the risk of heart attack. Even when there are no other known risk factors, obesity alone increase a person’s risk of developing heart disease.
High Blood Pressure: High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, usually has no symptoms. Many people have it for many years without even knowing it. Unfortunately, this can have devastating consequences for those who have it and don’t know. People who have prolonged and sustained hypertension can develop coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, kidney failure, and many other diseases. Nearly one third of American adults have high blood pressure. It’s very important to get your blood pressure checked regularly, even if you feel fine. Your blood pressure could start to rise at any time, so you should check it often.
Heart disease kills more people each year than all of the cancers combined. If you’re looking for useful tips to prevent heart problems, such as the best vitamins for the heart or effective ways to control hypertension, visit the Heart Wellness site.
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