Heart Attack Risk Factors.
Statistical studies have shown that certain risk factors do contribute to a heart attack. With this knowledge, a person can take certain simple measures and reduce his risk of getting a heart attack. Knowing the complications of heart attack will make you want to know these risks of heart attack. Explained below are those risk factors of heart attack.
Heart Attack Risk Factors.
1. Age and Heart Attack.
Men above 45yrs and women above 55years (after menopause) run a higher risk of contracting heart attack than those with a lower age.
2. Hereditary history and heart attack.
This is a very important factor. History of heart attack either on the father’s or mother’s side positively tells one, that he is prone to suffer a heart attack. Such a person runs more than twice the risk of getting a heart attack. That is why, one will notice that one of the first questions that a physician asks to such a patient is the history of heart attack in the family.
3. High Blood Pressure and Heart Attack.
Having high blood pressure too, may run in the family and is the number one contributing factor to a heart attack. Read Complications of High blood pressureand How to Prevent High Blood Pressure for further details.
4. Smoking and Heart Attack.
Smoking comes a close second to hypertension as a contributing factor to causing a heart attack. It damages the inner wall of the arteries and allows cholesterol and other substances to deposit on these walls, thus reducing the lumen of the artery and lowering blood flow. This happens to other arteries as well besides the coronary artery. But, the coronary artery is comparatively narrow and more prone to getting blocked.
5. Alocohol and Heart Attack.
Regular and high consumption of alcohol increases the triglyceride level in the blood , which is a predisposing risk factor of a heart attack.
6. High levels of Cholesterol and Triglycerides in the blood
High cholesterol and triglyceride levels contribute significantly. These high cholesterol levels result in deposits of plaques on the inner walls of the arteries. Cholesterol is a wax like substance and easily sticks to the inner walls of the arteries. The coronary arteries are relatively narrow and more prone to getting blocked. Reduced blood supply results in deprivation of blood and oxygen to that affected part of the heart wall of the heart, causing an heart attack. This how cholesterol and heart attack are interlinked.
7. Diabetes and Heart Attack.
Diabetics are more prone to heart attack. A more detailed explanation is shared in our Complications of diabetes. Diabetes is a high risk factor in causing a heart attack.
8. Sedentary Life and Heart Attack.
An inactive life is a contributing factor to diabetes, high cholesterol levels, obesity and high blood pressure. All these factors makes one more prone to a heart attack.
9. Obesity and Heart Attack.
Obesity is a major reason for High blood Pressure, Diabetes, and high levels of blood cholesterol, which in turn are strong predisposing risk factors of heart attack. Losing weight is absolutely necessary if you are overburdened with it.
10. Stress and Heart Attack.
Persons react differently to stress as the stress threshold varies from person to person. Some are able to tolerate stress more than others. When stress crosses the threshold, it may manifest in various health problems such as a heart attack.
11. Cocaine and Heart attack.
Narcotics such as cocaine cause constriction of the blood vessels. Constriction of the coronaries may result in a fatal heart attack, especially in cases of overdose.
After having read the above factors and having evaluated as to where you stand, you would be interested to read How to prevent a heart attack. This article will be very helpful.
Heart Attack Risk factors in image form.
Knowing these heart attack risk factors will create an awareness which will go a long way in preventing a heart attack.
Your action step.
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