Each year in the United States, more people die from heart disease than any other cause of death. In addition to lives lost, millions live with the effects of heart disease, and over 800,000 people have heart attacks every year.
Maintaining your cardiovascular health can help to reduce your risk of heart disease. To do that, you must understand how your gender, genetics, and lifestyle choices affect your risk and how a preventative medical scan can provide answers about your heart health.
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What Is Heart Disease?
Any disease affecting your heart or blood vessels is considered heart disease. Heart diseases include the following:
- Coronary artery disease
- Coronary heart disease
- Heart attack
- Heart failure
- Heart valve disease
- Peripheral arterial disease
- Rheumatic heart disease
What Are The Common Symptoms Of Heart Disease?
Symptoms of heart disease depend on the severity of your condition and type of heart disease. Common symptoms include the following:
- Chest pain
- Coughing
- Fatigue
- Heart palpitations
- Loss of consciousness
- Numb feet or legs
- Shortness of breath
- Skin color changes
- Swollen ankles, feet, or legs
- Wheezing
Who Is Considered At High Risk For Heart Disease?
Age and family history are significant indicators of your risk of heart disease. Health conditions, such as diabetes, are also associated with an increased risk, and there are also lifestyle factors that make it more likely you’ll develop heart disease, such as poor diet and smoking.
How Does Family History Affect The Risk Of Heart Disease?
The genes you receive from your parents affect your risk of heart disease. You have a higher risk of heart disease if you have immediate family members, such as siblings or parents, who have heart disease. If they develop heart disease at a young age, such as before 55 for men and before 65 for women, you should have a preventative medical scan to verify your heart health.
How Does Age Influence The Risk Of Heart Disease?
Your risk of heart disease increases as you age. For men, the risk increases after the age of 45. For women, the increased risk of heart disease isn’t associated with a specific age — instead, the risk increases after menopause.
High Blood Pressure And Heart Disease
Hypertension increases the pressure against your arteries’ walls. The consistent high pressure against your arteries caused by hypertension increases your risk of developing several severe health issues, including the following:
- Heart diseases, such as heart attack or heart failure
- Aneurysm
- Stroke
What Role Does Cholesterol Play In Heart Disease Risk?
There are two types of cholesterol in your blood: HDL (good) cholesterol and LDL (bad) cholesterol. Completing a lipid panel will verify how much HDL and LDL cholesterol you have in your blood. Your risk of heart disease increases if you have too much LDL (bad) cholesterol or low HDL (good) cholesterol.
How Does Smoking Increase The Risk Of Heart Disease?
Smoking affects your body in multiple ways. Since cigarettes contain nicotine, smokers have a greater risk of hypertension, plaque build-up in their arteries, and developing blood clots.
Plaque build-up in your arteries affects the blood flow to your heart. Think of a dam in a river and how that affects water flow. Your heart needs a steady flow of blood to function, and without sufficient blood flow, you could suffer from heart failure or have a heart attack. Blood clots can also cause heart attacks.
Diabetes: How It Impacts The Risk Of Developing Heart Disease
Diabetes affects your blood sugar levels. When you have high blood sugar levels, plaque builds up in your arteries, causing reduced blood flow and increased risk of heart failure or heart attack. Since diabetes can also damage your nerves and blood vessels, your risk of heart disease doubles if you have diabetes.
What Dietary Habits Can Contribute To Heart Disease?
A poor diet is another risk factor for heart disease. High amounts of saturated fats increase your LDL cholesterol, elevating your risk of heart disease. Foods that contribute to a poor diet for heart health include the following:
- Bacon
- Biscuits
- Butter
- Cake
- Cheese
- Chicken skin
- Coconut oil
- Fatty meats
- Ice cream
- Milkshakes
- Palm oil
- Pastries
- Sausage
What Are The Differences In Heart Disease Risk Between Men And Women?
Men and women have anatomical differences affecting the size of their blood vessels and hearts. When plaque build-up occurs in men, it typically involves the largest arteries. At the same time, women are more likely to have plaque build-up in their smaller arteries. The genders report different symptoms during a heart attack, with women more likely to report symptoms like pain in the neck and abdomen and vomiting.
Women have higher risks of other conditions, including broken heart syndrome and coronary spasms. Women also have a higher risk of heart disease if they have preeclampsia or gestational diabetes during pregnancy. Young women diagnosed with endometriosis are also at an increased risk of developing heart disease.
How Does Stress Influence Heart Disease Risk?
Stress contributes to physiological and lifestyle factors that elevate your heart disease risk. You’re more likely to suffer from hypertension if you’re experiencing chronic stress. You’re also more likely to engage in unhealthy habits that increase the risk of heart disease, such as binge eating, drinking, or smoking.
Reducing The Risk Of Heart Disease With Lifestyle Changes
You can introduce preventative health measures to reduce your risk for heart disease. The following lifestyle factors are associated with a higher risk of heart disease:
- Alcohol consumption
- Drug abuse
- Obesity
- Poor diet
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Smoking
You can reduce your risks by reducing alcohol consumption, losing weight, improving your diet, increasing your activity levels, and quitting smoking. Quitting drug use is another lifestyle change that can reduce your risk.
How Can Physical Activity Lower The Risk Of Heart Disease?
You’ll enjoy the following benefits from exercise:
- Increased activity levels
- Lose weight
- Lower blood sugar levels
- Prevent arterial damage from hypertension
- Reduce stress levels
All the health benefits you receive from exercise reduce risk factors for heart disease.
Related: What does a Heart Attack Cost?
What Medical Tests Are Used To Assess Heart Disease Risk?
Preventative Diagnostic Center uses medical imaging to allow your doctor to see what’s happening inside you. When you book a preventative medical scan near your location, you can be confident you’ll get a clear picture of your heart, valves, and arteries. A heart disease scan can identify blockages and other issues if you have physiological factors that increase your risk of heart disease.
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Sources:
ABCs of Knowing Your Heart Risk. (2024).
Heart Disease Facts. (2024).
Leading Causes of Death. (2024).
Lipid Panel. (2021).
Your Heart and Diabetes. (2024).
