Major
Risk Factors for Heart Attack
|
Major risk factors
have been shown by medical research to significantly increase the
risk of heart and cardiovascular events, such as heart attack or stroke.
Some of them can be changed or treated, and some cannot. The more
risk factors you have, the greater your risk of heart attack or stroke.
Controlling as many of these risk factors as possible is the best
way to keep your heart healthy.
|
 |
Major
risk factors for heart attack that cannot be changed:
|
Increasing
age -- About 85 percent of people who
die of coronary heart disease are age 65 or older. At older ages,
women who have heart attacks are twice as likely as men are to die
from them within a few weeks.
Male
gender -- Men have a greater risk of
heart attack than women, and they have attacks earlier in life. Even
after menopause, when women's death rate from heart disease increases,
it's not as great as men's.
Heredity
(including race) -- Children of parents
with heart disease are more likely to develop it themselves. African
Americans have more severe high blood pressure than caucasians, which
may increase their risk of heart attack.
Major
risk factors for heart attack that can be modified or treated:
You can change or treat these factors
to lower your risk by focusing on your lifestyle habits or by taking
medicine if needed. |
| Tobacco
smoke -- Smokers' risk of heart attack
is more than twice that of nonsmokers. Cigarette smoking is the biggest
risk factor for sudden cardiac death: smokers have two to four times
the risk of nonsmokers. Smokers who have a heart attack are more likely
to die and die suddenly (within an hour) than are nonsmokers. Available
evidence also indicates that chronic exposure to environmental tobacco
smoke (secondhand smoke, passive smoking) may increase the risk of
heart attack. |
|
| High
blood cholesterol levels -- The risk
of heart attack and stroke rises as blood cholesterol levels increase.
When other risk factors (such as high blood pressure and tobacco smoke)
are present, this risk increases even more. A person's cholesterol
level is also affected by age, gender, heredity and diet. |
|
| High
blood pressure -- High blood pressure
increases the heart's workload, causing the heart to enlarge and weaken
over time. It also increases the risk of stroke, heart attack, kidney
failure and congestive heart failure. When high blood pressure exists
with obesity, smoking, high blood cholesterol levels or diabetes,
the risk of heart attack or stroke increases several times. |
|
| Physical
inactivity -- Lack of physical activity
is a risk factor for heart attack. Regular, moderate-to-vigorous exercise
plays a significant role in preventing heart attack. Even moderate-intensity
physical activities are beneficial if done regularly and long term.
More vigorous activities are associated with more benefits. Exercise
can help control blood cholesterol, diabetes and obesity as well as
help to lower blood pressure in some people. |
 |
Obesity
and overweight -- People who have excess
body fat are more likely to suffer heart attack or stroke even if
they have no other risk factors. Obesity is unhealthy because excess
weight increases the strain on the heart. It's directly linked with
heart attacks because it influences blood pressure, blood cholesterol
and triglyceride levels and makes diabetes more likely to develop.
If you can lose as little as 10 to 20 pounds, you can help lower your
risk.
Diabetes mellitus
-- Diabetes seriously increases the
risk of suffering heart attack. Even when glucose levels are under
control, diabetes increases the risk of heart attack or stroke. Two-thirds
of people with diabetes die of some form of heart or blood vessel
disease. If you have diabetes, it's critically important for you to
monitor and control any other risk factors you can.
What other factors contribute to heart
attack risk?
Individual response
to stress may be a contributing factor. Some scientists have noted
a relationship between heart attack risk and stress in a person's
life, their health behaviors and socioeconomic status. These factors
may affect established risk factors. For example, people under stress
may overeat, start smoking or smoke more than they otherwise would. |
 |
