
Cardiovascular diseases are one of the most prevalent cause of many deaths all across the globe. Do you suspect yourself to be under the risk of developing cardiovascular disease? This article discusses various cardiovascular disease risk factors that can help you take necessary steps to safeguard yourself from this chronic illness.
Just knowing the simple fact that cardiovascular disease is the number one reason for premature deaths in the United States of America, is more than enough for you to be alarmed as to how much has the condition spread around you and how much should you be focused on preventing it so that you don’t have to deal with it. The more alarming thing is that you automatically come under the risk zone if someone in your close family has had this disease. Family history, along with many other factors like obesity, eating habits, lifestyle, etc., can actually become a massive obstruction in the way of living a healthy and happy life, unless you act upon its prevention. According to the American Heart Association, there are many factors that can lead to heart problems. Some factors can be controlled, like obesity, alcohol, smoking, etc. On the other hand there are some risk factors that are completely out of control. Usually the factors that can be controlled are based on drastic lifestyle changes and amendments. Let us now discuss in detail about the various factors that can put you in the red zone.
Uncontrollable Risk Factors of Cardiovascular Diseases
Just for you to gain a better understanding about the factors that put you in the risk of suffering from a cardiovascular disease, I have divided these points into controllable and uncontrollable. Let us have a look at some of the known factors that cannot be controlled through any lifestyle changes or medications.
Age
Statistics reveal that almost 83% deaths resulting from cardiovascular disease in the United States of America consisted of people who were 65 years old or above. This means that people who are more than 65 years old have more chances of having cardiovascular diseases as compared to younger people.
Family History
Though I had mentioned this earlier, yet again, family history of cardiovascular disease, specially if one of your immediate family members have this condition, then you automatically fall into the risk of developing this disease in the future, sooner if you are leading an unhealthy lifestyle.
Gender
Studies show that men are generally more prone to developing this condition at a younger age as compared to women. Speaking specifically, men are usually the victims of heart attacks and angina at an early age than women.
Ethnicity
One of the most prominent risk factors of cardiovascular diseases and problems is the ethnicity. They say that African Americans, Asian Americans, American Indians, Mexican Americans, Hawaiians etc are more prone to suffer from heart related problems as compared to Caucasians. If you are not a Caucasian, then you must be extra careful when it comes to prevention against this condition.
Controllable Risk Factors of Cardiovascular Diseases
While the aforementioned were some of the risk factors that you are just born with and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it, mentioned below are some of the most major risk factors that can be absolutely controlled and which can actually contribute towards preventing the disease in your body.
Weight
Are you obese or even overweight for that matter? Well, if you are, then you must hit the gym right away to get back in shape. Studies reveal that people who have an apple shaped body, meaning slim legs and thighs but fat around the waist and abdomen, tend to be at a higher risk of having cardiovascular problems as compared to people who are in shape or have a pear shaped body. Therefore maintaining a healthy lifestyle through eating and exercising is extremely important.
Alcohol and Smoking
Another major cause of cardiovascular diseases in people is the habit, which is more or less like an addiction of smoking or drinking alcohol on a regular basis. Therefore, if you are a regular smoker or drinker, then you must work towards cutting out on it as soon as possible if you really want to live a healthy and happy life.
High Blood Pressure and/or High Cholesterol
Another warning sign that you are getting close to heart problems and conditions is the problem of high blood pressure and cholesterol in the body. In fact conditions like angina and heart attack arise only due to the blockage of arteries due to accumulation of fatty cholesterol deposits. This prevents adequate blood supply to the heart resulting to cardiovascular diseases. So take care of your diet. Make sure you cut down on foods rich in cholesterol, fats and sodium and instead eat foods that include a lot of fiber in your diet as well.
Diabetes Mellitus
If you have read various health articles, then you must be aware of the fact that certain health conditions are always followed with more health problems. In the last point we discussed high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and adding on to the list, comes diabetes mellitus. Uncontrolled, or at times even controlled diabetes can lead to heart diseases, which is why, if you have diabetes, it becomes extremely important for you to take care of your health and fitness levels so that the risk is minimized.
Too Much of Stress
Stress is something that is an inevitable part of the modern lifestyle that we all are a part of. Be it a demanding job, a stressful relationship or anything else, taking a lot of stress can actually double your chances of having cardiovascular problems. Therefore, learn to relax. Exercising plays a very important role in this as it not only helps in staying healthy and active, it also contributes in reducing stress.
If you think that you fall under one or more risk factors mentioned above, then the first and foremost step for you to take is to get in touch with your healthcare specialist as soon as possible. He or she will perform various tests after considering the risk factors and advice you to live a healthy and active lifestyle. This includes becoming more active, being more cautious about what you eat, managing your weight and avoiding unhealthy habits like smoking and drinking. In order to avoid taking too much of stress, it is also very important for your body to get adequate sleep. I hope this article helped you understand about the risk factors in details.