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Coronary
Risk Factors
Heart disease is
one of the major causes of death in the United States. Your diet,
lifestyle and activity level play an important role in the prevention of heart
disease. We should not make the assumption that heart disease is inevitable with
aging. This is not the case. Older individuals tend to reduce their
activity levels, and pay little attention to the various risk factors that will
contribute to the onset of this disease. One of the most serious forms of
cardiovascular heart disease is the the obstruction of the blood supply through
major arteries to the heart. When blood flow to the heart is restricted to the
point the heart does not receive enough oxygen, a heart attack may result.
A heart attack, also called Myocardial Infarction, is the
result of part of the heart muscle dying.
The major Cardiovascular Risk Factors that increase your
chance of getting heart disease include:
- Family History of
Coronary Heart Disease
- This is especially important
as you have no control over your family history. It could be social,
lifestyle, diet and other characteristics in your family that included many
risk factors for heart disease and created your poor family history or your
family is genetically predisposed to certain conditions. It is
especially important to minimize all other risk factors that you have
control over.
-
- Cigarette Smoking
- Cigarette smoking also
contributes to a variety of illnesses such as an increased risk of cancer
and the inhalation of toxic chemicals. Cigarette smoking interferes with the
oxygen carrying capability of the blood.
-
- Elevated Blood
Cholesterol Levels
- A relationship exists between
the amount of cholesterol circulating in the blood and the accumulation of
fatty deposits on the artery walls which can lead to restricted blood flow.
Blood cholesterol levels above 240 mg/dl is considered high risk, a level of
240 to 200 mg/dl is considered moderate risk and below 200 mg/dl is
considered low risk. Your total level of cholesterol is comprised of
two major components, HDL and LDL.
HDL is considered a good component and LDL is considered bad. Your
ratio of HDL to LDL cholesterol is a factor in looking at your overall
cholesterol level. LDL levels should not be above 130 mg/dl and HDL
levels should not be below 35 mg/dl.
-
- High Blood Pressure
- Blood pressure measures the
pressure in the circulatory system when the heart is contracting and
relaxing. During contraction this is called the systolic
pressure and a level above 140 is considered high. During
relaxation this is called diastolic pressure
and a level above 90 is considered high. Normal resting blood pressure is
about 120/80 mm Hg.
-
- Diabetes
Mellitus
- Type I type diabetes is
insulin dependent or juvenile-onset and is the result of insufficient
insulin production from the pancreas. Type II diabetes is non-insulin
dependent or adult onset and is caused by the unresponsiveness of the body
tissues to insulin. This condition exists with blood glucose levels at or
above 140 mg/dl during a fasting period.
-
- Severe Obesity Levels
- Body fat levels above 25% for
males and 30% for females is considered obese.
-
- Stressful Lifestyle
- A lifestyle of consistent
pressure and stress may contribute to heart disease.
-
- Sedentary Lifestyle
- Lack of regular appropriate
physical activity has a debilitating effect on the body and contributes to
other risk factors.
We need to be
conscious of these risk factors and take the necessary steps to reduce and
eliminate them. In almost all risk factors, exercise and physical activity
can have a positive physiological and psychological impact to reduce or remove
the contributor to heart disease.
Healthgoods Staff
Path:
Home>Education>Fitness
and Physical Activity Information>Coronary
Risk Factors
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