5 Common Risk Factors for Heart Disease

Unfortunately, just because you do everything you’re “supposed to” — drink eight glasses of water each day, follow a regular exercise routine, get an adequate amount of sleep — doesn’t mean you’re home free when it comes to heart disease. You may have control over some risk factors for heart disease, but others are simply biological. And biology doesn’t always care how hard you work to stay healthy.

5 Common Risk Factors for Heart Disease

While some risk factors are out of your control, awareness is crucial in fighting any disease. Knowing which risk factors affect you could help prevent irreversible issues later.

1. High Cholesterol & Triglyceride Levels

The higher your blood cholesterol level, the greater your risk of developing coronary heart disease (CHD) and heart attack. Similarly, studies suggest high levels of triglycerides (a type of fat found in the blood) may raise the risk of CHD, particularly in women.

2. Stress

Anxiety and stress can trigger your arteries to tighten, raising blood pressure and your risk of a heart attack. In fact, the most commonly reported trigger for a heart attack is an emotionally upsetting event, especially one involving anger.

3. Gender

While estrogen provides women some protection against CHD, diabetes raises the risk of heart disease more in women than in men. Other factors such as cholesterol levels and blood pressure may differ between sexes as well, requiring a specialized prevention plan.

4. Age

The risk for CHD increases around age 45 in men and 55 in women. Most people have some plaque buildup in their heart arteries by the age of 70, but only about 25 percent of them have chest pain, heart attacks, or other signs of CHD.

5. Family History

If a sibling or parent is diagnosed with heart disease before age 55, talk to your doctor about regular checkups. Despite your best efforts to stay healthy, you could be predisposed to several risk factors for heart disease.

Knowledge is key when it comes to preventing the serious consequences of these common risk factors for heart disease. Continue drinking water. Keep working out. Get enough shut-eye. But most importantly, talk to your doctor about these and other risk factors that may pertain to you and your personal medical history.