cardiovascular disease Risk Factors

Risk Factors

As of 2006, 51% of men and 40% of women at age 50 in the United States will develop cardiovascular disease during their lifetime. The primary determinants of risk are:

Smoking - Smokers' risk of developing coronary heart disease is 2–4 times that of nonsmokers. Cigarette smoking also acts with other risk factors to greatly increase the risk for coronary heart disease.

High Cholesterol - As blood cholesterol rises, so does risk of coronary heart disease. 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, sex, heredity and diet.

High Blood Pressure - High blood pressure increases the heart's workload, causing the heart to thicken and become stiffer. It also increases your 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 and stroke increases several times.

Physical Inactivity - An inactive lifestyle is a risk factor for coronary heart disease. Regular, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity helps prevent heart and blood vessel disease. The more vigorous the activity, the greater your benefits. However, even moderate-intensity activities help if done regularly and long term. Physical activity can help control blood cholesterol, diabetes and obesity, as well as help lower blood pressure.

Obesity / Excess Weight - People who have excess body fat (especially if a lot of it is on the waist) are more likely to develop heart disease and stroke even if they have no other risk factors. Excess weight increases the heart's work. It also raises blood pressure and blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and lowers HDL ("good") cholesterol levels. Diabetes is more likely to develop. By losing even as few as 10 pounds, you can lower your heart disease risk.

Diabetes Mellitus - Diabetes seriously increases your risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Even when glucose (blood sugar) levels are under control, diabetes increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. The risks are even greater if blood sugar is not well controlled. Roughly 67% of men and 57% of women with diabetes at age 50 will develop cardiovascular disease by age 75. About three-quarters of diabetics die of some form of heart or blood vessel disease. If you have diabetes, it's extremely important to work with your healthcare provider to manage it and control any other risk factors you can.

Stress - Individual response to stress may be a contributing factor. Some scientists have noted a relationship between coronary heart disease risk and stress in a person's life, their health behavior, and socioeconomic status. These factors may affect established risk factors. For example, people under stress tend to overeat, smoke more, and increase alcohol consumption.

Alcohol - Drinking too much alcohol can raise blood pressure, cause heart failure, and lead to stroke. It can contribute to high triglycerides, cancer and other diseases, and produce irregular heartbeat. It contributes to obesity, alcoholism, suicide, and accidents. However the risk of heart disease in people who drink moderate amounts of alcohol (an average of one drink for women or two drinks for men per day) is lower than in nondrinkers. One drink is defined as 1-1/2 fluid ounces (floz) of 80-proof spirits (such as bourbon, Scotch, vodka, gin, etc.), 1 floz of 100-proof spirits, 4 floz of wine or 12 floz of beer. It is not recommended that nondrinkers start using alcohol or that drinkers increase the amount they drink to lower risk of cardiovascular disease.

If you reach the age of 50 with none of the above risk factors, the lifetime risk of cardiovascular disease is just 5% for men and 8% for women. There is a good chance the you will live into your 90s.

If the age of 50 is reached with two or more risk factors, then lifetime risk of cardiovascular disease jumps to 69% for men and 50% for women. The median survival rate for men and women with two risk factors is a decade shorter than the ones with none.