What are some risk factors for heart and vascular disease?
There are many risk factors for heart and vascular disease.
Some risk factors are modifiable and others are non-modifiable.
Life’s Simple 7
Dr. Leandro Perez discusses seven steps you can take to make a difference in your health.
Dubbed “Life’s Simple 7” by the American Heart Association, they involve:
Eating better, which can stave off chronic disease. Steps include increasing your intake of vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds.
Maintaining a healthy weight because this can reduce the burden on your heart, lungs, blood vessels and bones.
Exercising, which can help with your cholesterol levels, weight and muscle tone.
Quitting cigarettes because even one can hurt you.
Managing blood pressure. Unhealthy ranges strain the heart, arteries and kidneys.
Controlling cholesterol to give your arteries the best chance to stay clear of fatty blockages that reduce blood flow.
Reducing blood sugar. This can lower the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.
Medical conditions that are modifiable risk factors:
High blood cholesterol (Hypercholesterolemia, Hyperlipidemia, Dyslipidemia)
High blood glucose (Hyperglycemia, Diabetes Mellitus)
Non-Medical (Lifestyle) conditions that are modifiable risk factors:
Smoking
Physical inactivity
Unhealthy body weight
Unhealthy nutrition/diet
Excess alcohol consumption
Non-modifiable risk factors:
Age
Gender
Family history of atherosclerotic disease
Ethnicity
Genetic dyslipidemias
How can I prevent heart and vascular disease?
Some risk factors for heart and vascular disease can’t be controlled, like your family history, for example. But it’s still important to lower your chance of developing heart disease by decreasing the risk factors that you can control.