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What are the risk factors for heart disease?
There are many risk factors for heart disease. Some of them you can
change (modifiable risk factors) and some of them you can’t (non-modifiable). Listed
below are some of the most commonly recognized risk factors for heart disease and stroke:
Modifiable risk factors
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Non-modifiable risk factors |
Smoking
Obesity
Sedentary lifestyle
High LDL cholesterol
Low HDL cholesterol
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Gender-males are higher risk
Age – men age 45 or older and women age 55 or older without post-menopausal
estrogen replacement
Family history |
Also, diabetes and high blood pressure (hypertension) are risk factors that you can
control. Keeping your blood sugars and blood pressure under strict control will decrease
their negative effects on the heart.
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