Heart Attack: Are You At Risk?

If you’re male and you lead an inactive lifestyle you probably have at least 3 risk factors associated with heart disease.

You can feel fine but so do most people before they have a heart attack. Unfortunately, most people find out they have heart disease the day they are admitted in to hospital, and they are the lucky ones!

Ladies, don’t think this is just something for men to worry about (as it has been in the past). Women, as well as men, are more likely to die of heart disease than of any type of cancer.

This is because of our modern lifestyle. We are working longer hours, so we eat fast food, and there’s no time for exercise. To make matters worse, machines are taking the “work” out of work. We are less active and it’s killing us!

So what are the risk factors for heart disease?

Firstly, there are two types of risk factors: those that can be changed, and those that can’t be changed. Each extra risk factor that you have increases your chance of having a heart attack substantially.

Risk factors that can’t be changed:

Heredity: You are at greater risk if your parents, grandparents, brothers, or sisters, have heart disease.

Gender: Men are at greater risk than women, though the risk for women increases after menopause.

Age: As you increase in age, so do your chances of having a heart attack. Once you reach 40 you should have regular check-ups.

Risk factors that can be changed:

Smoking: A smoker is twice as likely than a non-smoker to have a heart attack. It not only places extra strain on the heart and lungs but also makes blood cholesterol stickier, making it easier to block arteries.

High Blood Cholesterol: Cholesterol is produced naturally by the body and is essential to our health. The problem comes when we consume too much in our diet.

High Blood Pressure: Just like with high cholesterol there are no early symptoms. The first most people learn they have this is when it’s at a dangerous level.

Physical Inactivity: If you are inactive, you are more likely to have a heart attack. Even a 10 minute walk each day can make all the difference.

Obesity: If you are obese, you are placing your heart under a great deal of strain even at rest.

I might be at risk, what should I do?

If you think you could be at risk, the first thing you should do is visit your doctor. Secondly, you need to modify your lifestyle. Exercise for at least 10 minutes per day. You also need to eat foods that are low in fat. If you smoke you need to give up.

Even if you don’t have many risk factors it’s a good idea to visit your doctor each year. Some risk factors can change within a short period of time and getting on to them early can make all the difference.

For the tips about how to measure blood pressure.

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It has been said that heart related conditions (cardiovascular diseases) are the number one cause of death and disability in the United States and most parts of the civilized world, today. And sudden death, from heart attack is by far the most common consequence of cardiovascular diseases.

A heart attack is the sudden stoppage of the heart due to death or damage to part of the heart. Of the numerous types of cardiovascular conditions, the one that is most likely to lead to a heart attack is what is known as Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) or more appropriately, Coronary Artery Disease (CAD).

Coronary arteries are the vessels (arteries) that carry oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscles or myocardium. So, as the name implies, Coronary Artery Disease is a condition that affects the coronary arteries (i.e. arteries of the heart). This condition is characterized by the slow and gradual buildup of fatty deposits, or plaque, in the walls of the coronary arteries which causes narrowing and restriction of blood flow. This is known as atherosclerosis.

As the buildup of the plaques continue, over the years, the plaques increase in thickness and the degree of obstruction of blood flow to the heart muscles becomes severe. Though, the buildup of the plaques takes a very long it is this process which ultimately causes irreversible death of the heart muscle supplied by that artery and results in a ‘heart attack’.
Coronary heart disease, though the most common underlying cause of heart attack, is not the only risk factor to consider. Other risk factors include: Smoking, diabetes, hypertension, obesity (especially central or female-type obesity), a chronic sub-clinical lack of vitamin C, elevated homocysteine levels, elevated blood levels of asymmetric dimethylarginine and also importantly, sedentary or inactive lifestyle.

It is important to note that despite the increasingly growing number of deaths recorded as a result of heart related conditions, cardiovascular diseases can still be prevented, or at least delayed by simply adopting a more healthy lifestyle. Simply becoming more active and watching what you eat while decrease your risk significantly.

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