A doctor suggests a medicine after understanding several risk factors associated with it. On the one hand, doctors take care of risk factors once we are affected by any disease. In contrast, we must try to learn the risk factors associated with any illness before getting affected.
In this article, we have listed several risk factors associated with a heart attack. Simultaneously, after doing research, we have come up with some of the best ways to manage these risk factors. So do read it until the end to know the risk factors you may have to overcome while/before suffering from coronary heart disease.
You need to keep in mind that the more the risk factors and greater the degree of risk factors, the higher your chances of getting coronary heart disease. So we suggest that before you fall prey to any such disease, take the necessary preventive measures we have listed towards the end of this blog.
Risk factors of a heart attack into three major categories
- Major Risk Factors - The research led by several medical professionals shows that these factors significantly increase the risk of getting heart and blood vessel diseases.
- Modifiable Risk Factors - These are the risk factors that a human being can control, change, or treat using medicines & a minor lifestyle change.
- Contributing Risk Factors - These are the factors that significantly increase the risk of a heart attack. But, yet medical professionals are researching its prevalence.
We wish to make it easier for you. Hence, we will further list down the risk factors based on these categories.
Details regarding the major risk factors
At times, a child is born with certain risk factors. These risk factors cannot be changed. Hence, such risk factors are listed under significant risk factors.
- Age - A person having age 65 or more is prone to heart attacks. Though it happens in both sexes, females are at a higher risk of dying.
- Male Gender - Males face a higher risk of getting heart attacks. Though women have a higher risk of dying due to heart attacks post-menopause, men face more heart attacks.
- Heredity Problems - Children with parents having coronary heart disease face a higher risk of developing heart diseases.
Majorly, these risk factors are not in our hands. Hence, we suggest you control the further listed modifiable risk factors instead.
Details regarding the modifiable risk factors
Though we call these factors modifiable factors, these are major risk factors too. Hence, it is necessary that we need to control these risk factors majorly.
- Smoking - If you are a smoker, you are at a higher risk of developing coronary heart disease than a non-smoker. Cigarette smoking can become a risk factor leading to your sudden cardiac death if you suffer from coronary heart disease.
Also, for non-smokers, if you are exposed to tobacco smoke, you do have a chance of developing coronary heart disease.
- Cholesterol - An increase in blood cholesterol will increase the chances of getting coronary heart disease. Though this factor is dependent on age, sex, and heredity, you can control them if you manage your dietary consumption.
- Blood Pressure - If you have high blood pressure, the workload of the heart increases, thickening the heart muscles. It becomes stiff. Muscle stiffening is not normal, and it increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
- Physical Inactivity - If you stay inactive for an extended period, there are chances that you may develop coronary heart disease. If you wish to remain safe, you need to have moderate to vigorous physical activities in your schedule.
- Obesity - If people have heavy body fat, especially in the waist region, coronary heart disease is higher. They may develop symptoms of a heart attack, even if they don’t have any other risk factors.
- Diabetes - Diabetes plays a major role in developing coronary heart disease. Even if you have blood sugar levels in control, diabetes may cause heart attacks and strokes. In contrast, uncontrolled blood sugar levels develop a significant risk of a heart attack.
Details regarding the contributing risk factors
These factors are silent killers in our language. They contribute heavily to your chances of having a heart attack.
- Stress - Stress has become a contributing factor in developing coronary heart disease in the past and will continue in the future. Having stress in your life may force you to smoke, eat heavily, and do other such activities, causing heart attacks.
- Alcohol - Drinking excess alcohol can increase the risk of developing high blood pressure, which, in turn, increases the risk factor of developing coronary heart disease.
- Diet - Having a balanced diet contributes heavily to reducing the risk factors of developing coronary heart disease. A nutrient-rich diet will easily control the chances of having blood pressure, cholesterol, being overweight, etc. Thus, reducing the chances of getting coronary heart disease.
Preventing Heart Attacks
- Instead of worrying about developing coronary heart disease, we believe you must focus on creating healthy heart living. You must develop a routine wherein you consume a proper diet at proper intervals. We feel you should start developing such a habit at a very young age.
- We have listed the basic risk factors controllable like smoking, drinking, developing unwanted stress, physical inactivity that leads to coronary heart disease. Try creating a habit where you keep yourself away from any of these risk factors.
Except for the risk factors that develop because of age, sex, and heredity, we feel all other risk factors are easily measurable and controllable. Hence, we recommend you stay away from all other risk factors contributing significantly to coronary heart disease.
You can reach out to the best cardiology hospital in India to further understand the risk factors and preventive measures for coronary heart disease or watch a video about the risk factors explained by top cardiologist in Bangalore - Dr. Venkatesulu RS.
We wish you a happy & healthy heart!
