The American Heart Association has identified a variety of risk factors that can increase your risk of coronary heart disease, blood vessel disease, and heart attack. These risk factors are divided into two categories: those you can treat or control, and those you can’t.
What can’t you change, treat, or control?
- Age. More than 80 percent of people who die from coronary heart disease are age sixty-five or older. And the older you get, girls, the more likely you are to die within a few weeks of a heart attack. After menopause, your risk of heart disease increases.
- Gender. Men generally have a greater risk of heart attack than women do, AND they have heart attacks earlier in life.
- Heredity. If your parents have or had heart disease, you are more likely to develop it yourself. You may also inherit other risk factors like high cholesterol, obesity, and diabetes.
- Race. According to the American Heart Association, heart disease is a higher risk if you are African American, Mexican American, American Indian, or native Hawaiian.
What can you change, treat, or control?
- Exposure to tobacco smoke. If you are a smoker, you may be up to four times more likely to develop heart disease than a non-smoker. Non-smokers are still at risk if they are exposed to second-hand smoke.
- High cholesterol. As your cholesterol level rises, so does your risk of coronary heart disease.
- High blood pressure. Not only are you at risk for heart attack, but also stroke, kidney failure, and congestive heart failure.
- Activity level. Regular exercise helps prevent heart and blood vessel disease. It can also help you control cholesterol levels, diabetes, and obesity.
- Weight. If you have excess body fat — especially at the waist — you are more likely to develop heart disease… even without other risk factors.
- Diabetes. Whether your blood sugar is controlled or not, diabetes can increase your risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
- Stress levels. Some studies have discovered a relationship between heart disease risk and stress in a person’s life. Stress can affect other risk factors like weight and blood pressure.