What are the Top 5 Risk Factors for Heart Disease?
Heart disease is an unavoidable situation. While family history, age, and gender are all significant risk factors that cannot be managed you have control over five major risk factors for heart disease. Poor diet, high blood pressure and cholesterol, stress, smoking, and obesity are all lifestyle variables that can be remedied by changing your habits.
Here are the top 5 risk factors for heart disease that you shouldn’t overlook:
- High Blood Pressure
Since high blood pressure or hypertension normally has no symptoms, it can’t be recognised without being tested, making it one of the most critical screenings. High blood pressure raises the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke significantly.
For some, genetics is a compelling cause to get tested: Women are more likely than males to develop high blood pressure beyond the age of 65. High blood pressure can be managed with medications or lifestyle changes.
- Diabetes
Diabetes can contribute to a plethora of major medical issues, notably heart disease and stroke if left untreated. Even if you’re young, your doctor may suggest a blood glucose test if you’re overweight and have at least one other cardiovascular risk factor, like hypertension or high cholesterol.
Blood glucose levels should be examined at least every three years prior to the age of 45. You’re more likely to develop insulin resistance, prediabetes, and type 2 diabetes if your blood glucose levels are high.
- Overweight
Obesity is defined as the amount of body fat. Obesity is associated with higher levels of “bad” cholesterol and triglycerides, as well as decreased levels of “good” cholesterol. Obesity can lead to hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease. Beginning around the age of 20, your healthcare professional may enquire about your body weight to determine your body mass index (BMI) during a routine check-up. These measured values could indicate whether you have a healthy body weight composition.
- Lipoprotein Profile
Cholesterol is a fat-like substance produced by the liver or found in a wide variety of foods. Your liver produces enough cholesterol to meet your body’s requirements, but we mostly get more from the food we consume.
If we consume more cholesterol than our bodies can use, the extra cholesterol can accumulate in the artery walls, including that of the heart. This causes artery narrowing and can reduce blood supply to the heart, brain, kidneys, and other major organs.
Fasting lipoprotein profile should be taken after every four to six years once you turn 20. This blood test measures total cholesterol, LDL (bad) cholesterol, HDL (good) cholesterol, and triglycerides. If your doctor specifies that you have an increased risk of heart disease or stroke, you might have to be checked more commonly.
- Diet and Smoking
Cigarette smoking can harm the heart and the blood vessels, increasing your risk of developing heart conditions such as atherosclerosis and having a heart attack. A high-fat, trans-fat, and cholesterol-rich diet has been connected to heart disease and associated complications like atherosclerosis. In addition, eating too much salt (sodium) can raise blood pressure.
Heart disease is terrible, but it is often preventable. Keeping a heart-healthy way of life would benefit all of us, but it is incredibly significant for those who are at higher risk. Among the most effective ways to prevent cardiovascular diseases like heart attack, and stroke is to live a healthy lifestyle.
