Heart Disease Risk Factors
High Blood Cholesterol and High Triglyceride
Levels
Cholesterol
High blood cholesterol is a condition in which
there's too much cholesterola waxy, fat-like substancein your
blood. The higher your blood cholesterol level, the greater your risk for
heart
disease and
heart
attack.
Cholesterol travels in the bloodstream in small
packages called lipoproteins (LI-po-pro-teens). Two major kinds of lipoproteins
carry cholesterol throughout your body:
- Low-density lipoproteins (LDL). LDL cholesterol
is sometimes called "bad" cholesterol. This is because it carries cholesterol
to tissues, including your heart arteries. The higher the level of LDL
cholesterol in your blood, the greater your risk for heart disease.
- High-density lipoproteins (HDL). HDL cholesterol
is sometimes called "good" cholesterol. This is because it helps remove
cholesterol from your arteries. A low HDL cholesterol level raises your risk
for heart disease.
A number of factors affect your blood cholesterol
levels. For example, after menopause, women's LDL cholesterol levels tend to
rise and their HDL cholesterol levels tends to fall. Other factors, such as
age, gender, and diet, also affect your cholesterol levels.
Healthy levels of both LDL and HDL cholesterol will
prevent plaque from building up in your arteries. Routine
blood
tests can show whether your blood cholesterol levels are healthy. Talk to
your doctor about having your cholesterol tested and what the results mean.
Children also can have high blood cholesterol,
especially if they're overweight. Talk to your child's doctor about testing
your child' cholesterol levels.
To learn more about high blood cholesterol and how
to manage the condition, see the Diseases and Conditions Index (DCI)
High
Blood Cholesterol article and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood
Institute's (NHLBI's)
"Your
Guide to Lowering Your Cholesterol With TLC."
Triglycerides
Triglycerides are another type of fat found in the
blood. Some studies suggest that a high level of triglycerides in the blood
also may raise the risk for heart disease, particularly in women.
High Blood Pressure
"Blood pressure" is the force of blood pushing
against the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps out blood. If this
pressure rises and stays high over time, it can damage your heart and lead to
plaque buildup.
Often, high blood pressure (HBP) has no signs or
symptoms. However, the condition can be detected using a simple test that
involves placing a blood pressure cuff around your arm.
Most adults should have their blood pressure checked
at least once a year. Talk to your doctor about how often you should have your
blood pressure checked. If you have HBP, you will likely need to have your
blood pressure checked more often.
Children also can develop HBP, especially if they're
overweight. Your child's doctor should check your child's blood pressure at
each routine checkup.
Blood pressure numbers consist of systolic
(sis-TOL-ik) and diastolic (di-a-STOL-ik) pressures. Systolic blood pressure is
the pressure when your heart beats. Diastolic blood pressure is the pressure
when your heart is at rest between beats.
You will most often see blood pressure numbers
written with the systolic number above or before the diastolic number, such as
120/80 mmHg. (The mmHg is millimeters of mercurythe units used to measure
blood pressure.)
All levels above 120/80 mmHg raise your risk for
heart disease. This risk grows as blood pressure levels rise. Only one of the
two blood pressure numbers has to be above normal to put you at greater risk
for heart disease and heart attack.
Blood pressure normally rises with age and body
size. Newborns often have very low blood pressure numbers, while older teens
have numbers similar to adults.
The ranges for normal blood pressure and HBP are
generally lower for youth than for adults. These ranges are based on the
average blood pressure numbers for age, gender, and height.
Your child should have routine blood pressure checks
starting at 3 years of age. To find out whether a child has HBP, a doctor will
compare the child's blood pressure numbers to average numbers for his or her
age, height, and gender.
Both children and adults are more likely to develop
HBP if they're overweight or have diabetes.
For more information about HBP and how to manage the
condition, see the DCI
High
Blood Pressure article and the NHLBI's
"Your
Guide to Lowering Your Blood Pressure With DASH."
Diabetes and Prediabetes
Diabetes is a disease in which the body's blood
sugar level is too high. The two types of diabetes are type 1 and type 2.
In type 1 diabetes, the body's blood sugar level is
high because the body doesn't make enough insulin. Insulin is a hormone that
helps move blood sugar into cells, where it's used for fuel. In type 2
diabetes, the body's blood sugar level is high mainly because the body doesn't
use its insulin properly.
Over time, a high blood sugar level can lead to
increased plaque buildup in your arteries. Having diabetes doubles your risk
for heart disease.
Prediabetes is a condition in which your blood sugar
level is higher than normal, but not as high as it is in diabetes. If you have
prediabetes and don't take steps to manage it, you're likely to develop type 2
diabetes within 10 years. You're also at higher risk for heart disease.
Being overweight or obese raises your risk for type
2 diabetes. With modest weight loss and moderate physical activity, people who
have prediabetes may be able to delay or prevent type 2 diabetes. They also may
be able to lower their risk for heart disease and heart attack. Weight loss and
physical activity also can help control diabetes.
Even children can develop type 2 diabetes. Most
children who have type 2 diabetes are overweight.
Type 2 diabetes develops over time and sometimes has
no symptoms. Go to your doctor or local clinic to have your blood sugar levels
tested regularly to check for diabetes and prediabetes.
For more information on diabetes and prediabetes,
see the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases'
(NIDDK's)
Introduction to Diabetes.
Overweight and Obesity
The terms "overweight" and "obesity" refer to a
person's overall body weight and whether it's too high. Overweight is having
extra body weight from muscle, bone, fat, and/or water. Obesity is having a
high amount of extra body fat.
The most commonly used measure of overweight and
obesity is body mass index (BMI). BMI is calculated from your height and
weight.
In adults, a BMI of 18.5 to 24.0 is considered
normal. A BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight. A BMI of 30 or above is
considered obese. Over two-thirds of American adults are overweight, and almost
one-third are obese. You can use the NHLBI's
online BMI calculator to figure
out your BMI, or your doctor can help you.
Overweight is defined differently for children and
teens than it is for adults. Children are still growing, and boys and girls
mature at different rates. Thus, BMIs for children and teens compare their
heights and weights against growth charts that take age and gender into
account. This is called BMI-for-age percentile.
For more information about BMI-for-age growth charts
for children, go to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's
BMI-for-age calculator.
Being overweight or obese can raise your risk for
heart disease and heart attack. This is mainly because overweight and obesity
are linked to other heart disease risk factors, such as high blood cholesterol
and triglyceride levels, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
For more information, see the DCI
Overweight
and Obesity article.
Smoking
Smoking tobacco or long-term exposure to secondhand
smoke raises your risk for heart disease and heart attack.
Smoking triggers a buildup of plaque in your
arteries. Smoking also increases the risk of blood clots forming in your
arteries. Blood clots can block plaque-narrowed arteries and cause a heart
attack.
Some research shows that smoking raises your risk
for heart disease in part by lowering HDL cholesterol levels.
The more you smoke, the greater your risk for heart
attack. Studies show that if you quit smoking, you cut your risk for heart
attack in half within a year. The benefits of quitting smoking occur no matter
how long or how much you've smoked.
Most people who smoke start when they're teens.
Parents can help prevent their children from smoking by not smoking themselves.
Talk to your child about the health dangers of smoking and ways to overcome
peer pressure to smoke.
Lack of Physical Activity
Inactive people are nearly twice as likely to
develop heart disease as those who are active. A lack of physical activity can
worsen other heart disease risk factors, such as high blood cholesterol and
high triglyceride levels, high blood pressure, diabetes and prediabetes, and
overweight and obesity.
It's important for children and adults to make
physical activity part of their daily routines. One reason many Americans
aren't active enough is because of hours spent in front of TVs and computers
doing work, schoolwork, and leisure activities.
Some experts advise that children and youth reduce
screen time because it limits time for physical activity. They recommend that
children aged 2 and older should spend no more than 2 hours a day watching
television or using a computer (except for school work).
Being physically active is one of the most important
things you can do to keep your heart healthy. The good news is that even modest
amounts of physical activity are good for your health. The more active you are,
the more you will benefit.
For more information, see the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services'
"2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans," the
Diseases and Conditions Index Physical Activity and Your Heart article, and the
NHLBI's
"Your
Guide to Physical Activity and Your Heart."
Unhealthy Diet
An unhealthy diet can raise your risk for heart
disease. For example, foods that are high in saturated and trans fats
and cholesterol raise LDL cholesterol. Thus, you should try to limit these
foods.
Saturated fats are found in some meats, dairy
products, chocolate, baked goods, and deep-fried and processed foods.
Trans fats are found in some fried and processed foods. Cholesterol is
found in eggs, many meats, dairy products, commercial baked goods, and certain
types of shellfish.
It's also important to limit foods that are high in
sodium (salt) and added sugars. A high-salt diet can raise your risk for high
blood pressure.
Added sugars will give you extra calories without
nutrients like vitamins and minerals. This can cause you to gain weight, which
raises your risk for heart disease. Added sugars are found in many desserts,
canned fruits packed in syrup, fruit drinks, and nondiet sodas.
You also should try to limit how much alcohol you
drink. Too much alcohol will raise your blood pressure. It also will add
calories, which can cause weight gain.
Stress
Stress and anxiety may contribute to the development
of heart disease. Stress and anxiety also can trigger your arteries to tighten.
This can raise your blood pressure and your risk for heart attack.
The most commonly reported trigger for a heart
attack is an emotionally upsetting event, especially one involving anger.
Stress also may indirectly raise your risk for heart disease if it makes you
more likely to smoke or overeat foods high in fat and sugar.
Age
As you get older, your risk for heart disease and
heart attack rises. This is in part due to the slow buildup of plaque inside
your heart arteries, which can start during childhood.
In men, the risk for heart disease increases after
age 45. In women, the risk increases after age 55.
Most people have some plaque buildup in their heart
arteries by the time they're in their seventies. However, only about 25 percent
of those people have chest pain, heart attacks, or other signs of heart
disease.
Gender
Before age 55, women have a lower risk for heart
disease than men. After age 55, however, the risk for heart disease increases
similarly in both women and men. This is because before menopause, estrogen
provides some protection against heart disease for women.
Some risk factors may affect heart disease risk
differently in women than in men. For example, diabetes raises the risk for
heart disease more in women.
Family History
Family history plays a role in heart disease risk.
Your risk increases if your father or brother was diagnosed with heart disease
before 55 years of age, or if your mother or sister was diagnosed with the
disease before 65 years of age.
However, having a family history of heart disease
doesn't mean that you will have it too. This is especially true if your
affected family member smoked or had other heart disease risk factors that were
not well treated.
Making lifestyle changes and taking medicines to
treat other risk factors often can lessen genetic influences and stop or slow
the progress of heart disease. |