The Risk For Cardiovascular Disease

Are you or someone you love at risk for cardiovascular disease? Have you been experiencing chest pain, fatigue, occasional dizziness and are wondering whether these could be signs of heart and artery disease? Quite honestly almost everyone fits into one of these categories and despite recent improvement in both awareness and treatment cardiovascular disease is still the number two cause of death in the United States with heart attacks killing over 150,000 Americans each year.

Risk for cardiovascular disease - Three Factors you cannot change

The most obvious one is age, with most heart attacks occurring after the age of 60 and 83 percent of deaths over the age of 65. Another is gender with men being at greater risk of cardiovascular disease; though after menopause the gap narrows dramatically becoming almost equal by the age of 65. And lastly heredity, with cardiovascular disease tending to run along family lines.

Three risk factors that can and should be managed

High blood pressure is a major risk factor which often produces no symptoms. It puts excess pressure on the heart and increases pressure in the arteries, thus paving the way for cardiovascular disease. Another serious but manageable condition is diabetes. Three out of every four people with diabetes die from some form of cardiovascular or blood vessel disease. And lastly high cholesterol levels. Cholesterol is waxy substance produced by the liver, or consumed in certain foods. When too much cholesterol is in the body it ends up in our arteries, eventually leading to narrowing and hardening.

Risk for cardiovascular disease - Three risk factors that can be changed

The most obvious of these is smoking. Smokers are on average 3 times more likely to have cardiovascular disease than non smokers. People who smoke cigars and pipes are at increased risk, but not to the degree of cigarette smokers. It should also be noted that second hand smoke is a serious risk factor as well.

Another lesser known, but changeable risk factor is that of inactivity. About 4 out of every 10 individuals with cardiovascular disease are considered to be inactive. Regular moderate to vigorous exercise (when done regularly) is one of the most effective preventive tools you have in the battle against heart and artery disease.

An finally obesity or being overweight. Most of us over the age of 40 know how difficult it is to manage our weight effectively. After all, our metabolism becomes slower with age and we may start to snack more while watching television in the evenings. While this may be true in the world of heart and artery disease is riddled with the carnage of those who have packed on the pounds, especially if a lot of it is around the waist.

In summary, when talking about the risk of cardiovascular disease there are some things you can't change, some you can manage, and other risk factors that can be eliminated. By making smart choices such as eating a low fat diet or considering a natural cholesterol reduction supplement, if needed, and/or talking with your doctor about an exercise plan, you can greatly reduce your chances of not becoming just another cardiovascular disease statistic.

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