Not all risk factors for CVD are controllable - some people have an inherited tendancy toward high cholesterol levels, for example - but many are within the control of the individual.
1. Tobacco use.
People who smoke a pack of cigarettes a day have twice the risk of heart attack that nonsmokers have; smoking two or more packs a day triples the risk. And when smokers do have heart attacks, they are two to four times more likely than nonsmokers to die from them.
Smoking harms the cardiovascular system in several ways. Smoking can reduce levels of high-density lipoproteins (HDLs), "good" cholseterol, in the bloodstream. The psychoactive drug in tobacco, nicotine, is a central nervous system stimulant, causing increased blood pressure and heart rate.
Cigarette smoking also causes the platelets in blood to become sticky and cluster, compromises platelet survival rate, decreases clotting time, and thickens the blood.
You don't have to smoke to be affected. Environmental tobacco smoke in high concentrations has been linked to the development of cardiovascular disease.
2. High Blood Pressure.
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a risk factor for many forms of CVD but is also considered a disease itself. High blood pressure occurs when too much force or pressure is exerted against the walls of the arteries. Picture a hose running at too high of pressure. If your blood pressure is high, your heart has to work harder to push the blood forward.
Hypertension usually has no early warning signs, so it's important to have your blood pressure tested at least once every two years and more often if you have CVD risk factors.
3. Unhealthy Cholesterol Levels.
Cholesterol is a fatty, waxlike substance that circulates through the bloodstream and is an important component of cell membranes, sex hormones, vitamin D, the fluid that coats the lungs, and the protective sheaths around nerves. Adequate cholesterol is essential for the proper function of the body. However, excess cholesterol can clog arteries and increase the risk of CVD.
4. Physical Inactivity.
About 25% of adults report no leisure-time physical activity, and 60% or more don't reach the recommended amount of physical activity. Exercise is thought to be the closest thing we have to a "magic bullet" against heart desease. It lowers CVD risk by helping decrease blood pressure, increase good cholesterol levels, maintain desirable weight, improve the condition of the blood vessels, and prevent or control diabetes.
5. Obesity.
A person whose body weight is more than 30% above the recommended level is at higher risk for heart disease and stroke, even if no other risk factors are present. An estimated 110 million Americans are classified as either overweight or obese.
6. Diabetes.
Diabetes is a disorder in which the body produces insufficient insulin to metabolize glucose. Carefully controlling glucose levels is beneficial, but even people whose diabetes is under control face an increased risk of CVD.
Contributing Risk Factors that can be changed: Triglyceride levels, psychological and social factors such as chronic hostility and anger, depression and anxiety, and social isolation.
Major Risk Factors that can't be changed:
1. Heredity.
The tendancy to develop CVD seems to be inherited. High cholesterol levels, abnormal blood-clotting problems, diabetes, and obesity are other CVD risk facotrs that have genetic links.
2. Aging.
The risk of heart attack increases dramatically after age 65. About 55% of all heart attack victims are age 65 or older, and more than four out of five who suffer fatal heart attacks are over 65.
3. Being Male.
Although CVD is the leading killer of both men and women in the U.S., men face a greater risk of heart attack than women, especially earlier in life.
4. Ethnicity.
Death rates from heart disease vary among ethnic groups in the U.S., with African Americans having much higher rates of hypertension, heart disease, and stroke than other groups.
