What Are The 5 Common Risk Factors For Heart Disease And How To Help Prevent Them? Here Is What To Know

Having said that, Eat This, Not That! cannot change some risk factors. Dr. Tomi Mitchell, a Board-Certified Family Physician with Holistic Wellness Strategies, shared five heart disease risk factors that everyone should be aware of in an interview with Health.

The cardiovascular system includes the heart and blood vessels including arteries, veins, and capillaries, according to Dr. Mitchell. The circulatory system eliminates carbon dioxide and other waste materials from the body while also delivering oxygen-rich blood, nutrients, and hormones to cells all across the body. The circulatory system, which is made up of a network of blood vessels, is pumped by the heart.

The circulatory system is essential for keeping a healthy body because it transports nutrients and oxygen to cells and eliminates waste. Heart disease is the number one killer in the United States and a major global health issue. Obesity, smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol are just a few of the many risk factors for heart disease. We may take precautions to lower our chance of acquiring heart disease by being aware of these risk factors that have an influence on our cardiovascular system.

According to Dr. Mitchell, “Blood flow is hampered by high blood pressure, excessive cholesterol, and other conditions that put stress on the heart and arteries. Diabetes can weaken the heart’s muscle, which makes it harder for the heart to pump blood efficiently. Smoking causes damage to the lining of the arteries, which facilitates plaque buildup and blood flow restriction. Finally, because heart disease is frequently inherited, family history matters. You can still take action to lower your risk of developing heart disease even if you have one or more risk factors. Healthy eating, regular exercise, and abstaining from tobacco products are all great ways to safeguard your heart.”

According to Dr. Mitchell, having high cholesterol increases your chance of developing heart disease since it can cause artery plaque to build up. “Calcium, lipids, and other components present in blood make form plaque. Plaque has the ability to harden and constrict your arteries over time, obstructing blood flow. Your arteries may have an attack or a stroke as a result of the elevated pressure. Although high blood cholesterol levels are not always dangerous, they can raise your risk for heart disease. To maintain good cholesterol, it is crucial to check it frequently and cooperate with your doctor.”

As Dr. Mitchell explains, “Several factors make diabetes a risk factor for heart disease. First, excessive blood sugar levels brought on by diabetes can result in atherosclerosis, or the hardening of the arteries. Because of this disease, it is more difficult for blood to circulate freely and the arteries get narrower. Diabetes can also result in high blood pressure, which adds to the heart’s workload. Last but not least, diabetes also raises blood levels of LDL (“bad cholesterol”) cholesterol, which can exacerbate atherosclerosis. As a result, diabetes should be carefully managed to lower the risk of developing heart disease. Diabetes is a serious risk factor for heart disease.”

Dr. Mitchell underlines that smoking cigarettes is a proven risk factor for heart disease. “Smoking harms the lining of the arteries, which can result in a buildup of plaque. This is only one of the many ways that smoking causes heart disease. Second, smoking makes the heart work harder by raising blood pressure and heart rate. Third, smoking lowers HDL (good) cholesterol levels while raising LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. Additionally, smoking lowers the blood’s oxygen content, which harms the heart muscle. Smokers have a higher risk of developing heart disease than non-smokers due to all these factors.”

“Family history is a risk factor for heart disease since it might provide information about a person’s genetic susceptibility to the ailment,” claims Dr. Mitchell. Environmental, lifestyle, and genetic factors all contribute to the development of heart disease. A family history of heart disease, for instance, raises a person’s chance of getting the illness since it may indicate that they have inherited genes that make them more vulnerable to heart disease.

Although family history cannot be changed, people may adopt lifestyle decisions that may lower their chance of having heart disease by being aware of this risk factor. For instance, those who have a family history of heart disease may be more likely to benefit from making adjustments to their way of life, such as exercising frequently and eating well.

This “doesn’t represent medical advice, and by no means are these responses intended to be exhaustive,” according to Dr. Mitchell. Instead, it’s meant to promote conversations about lifestyle choices.