Risk Factors for Heart Disease
There are multiple factors or causes leading to heart (cardiovascular) disease: hypertension, lack of physical activity, obesity, diabetes, tobacco use and unhealthy cholesterol levels.
The American Heart Association categorized these as controllable risk factors which can be changed through individual behavior or community interventions.
Hypertension causes the heart to work more to circulate the same amount of blood. This may lead to enlargement of the heart and many trigger congestive heart failure. Hypertension can also damage the lining of arteries and weaken blood vessel walls.
Physical inactivity increases the risk of high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes which in turn make it easier to have heart attacks. Physical activity conditions the heart, improves HDL cholesterol levels and lowers high blood pressure. It also helps to control diabetes and maintain weight.
Obesity and overweight has a strong correlation with the risk and seriousness of heart attack. Excessive body weight requires the heart to work harder and thus bring about other risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes and high LDL levels. It has been found that the waist-to-hip ratio also plays a more important role than the absolute body mass index (BMI). People with abdominal obesity (central fat distribution with abdominal circumference greater than 4 inches for men and 35 inches for women) are found to suffer higher risk of heart disease.
Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder in which the body cannot properly convert food into energy due to the disruption in the production or use of insulin. Elevated levels of glucose circulating in the bloodstream damage the artery walls, the peripheral nerves and organs. Diabetes can make a person four times more susceptible to heart disease than those without diabetes.
Tobacco use (including cigarette, cigar and pipe smoking) is the main risk factor for heart disease. Smoking can damage the inner lining of blood vessels and accelerate the development of atherosclerosis. Smokes in tobacco also carry multiple toxins that can trigger the formation of blood clots in the coronary arteries and initiate spasms that close off the vessels.
Total Cholesterol level (greater than 240mg/dl) is considered high and is directly proportional to the frequency of coronary heart disease. It is desirable to maintain one’s LDL cholesterol (“bad” cholesterol) level lower than 60mg/dl, and HDL cholesterol (“good” cholesterol) level greater than 60mg/dl.