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Risk factors

By Mayo Clinic staff

Heart disease risk factors include:

  • Your age. Simply getting older increases your risk of damaged and narrowed arteries and weakened or thickened heart muscle, which contribute to heart disease.
  • Your sex. Men are generally at greater risk of heart disease. However, the risk for a woman increases after menopause.
  • Family history. A family history of heart disease increases your risk of coronary artery disease, especially if a parent developed it at an early age (before age 55 for a male relative such as your brother or father and 65 for a female relative such as your mother or sister).
  • Smoking. Nicotine constricts your blood vessels, and carbon monoxide can damage their inner lining, making them more susceptible to atherosclerosis. Heart attacks are more common in smokers than in nonsmokers.
  • Poor diet. A diet that's high in fat, salt and cholesterol can contribute to the development of heart disease.
  • High blood pressure. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can result in hardening and thickening of your arteries, narrowing the vessels through which blood can flow.
  • High blood cholesterol levels. High levels of cholesterol in your blood can increase the risk of formation of plaques and atherosclerosis. Plaques can be caused by a high level of low-density lipoproteins (LDLs), known as "bad" cholesterol, or a low level of high-density lipoproteins (HDLs), known as "good" cholesterol.
  • Diabetes. Diabetes increases your risk of heart disease. Both conditions share similar risk factors, such as obesity and high blood pressure.
  • Obesity. Excess weight typically worsens other risk factors.
  • Physical inactivity. Lack of exercise also is associated with many forms of heart disease and some of its other risk factors, as well.
  • High stress. Unrelieved stress in your life may damage your arteries as well as worsen other risk factors for heart disease.
  • Poor hygiene. Not regularly washing your hands and other habits that can help prevent viral or bacterial infections can put you at risk of heart infections, especially if you already have an underlying heart condition. Researchers also believe poor dental health may contribute to heart disease. Germs on your teeth and gums can travel from your mouth to your heart, potentially worsening coronary artery disease.
Complications Causes
References
  1. Hansson GK. Inflammation, atherosclerosis, and coronary artery disease. New England Journal of Medicine. 2005;352:1685.
  2. Arrhythmias. American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4469. Accessed Nov. 14, 2008.
  3. Arrhythmia: A problem with your heartbeat. http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/articles/286.html. Accessed Nov. 14, 2008.
  4. Congenital heart defects. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/chd/chd_all.html. Accessed Nov. 14, 2008.
  5. Cooper LT, Jr. Definition and classification of the cardiomyopathies. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Feb. 27, 2008.
  6. McKenna WJ. Medical therapy in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Feb. 27, 2008.
  7. Torpy JM, et al. Heart valve infections. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2007;297:1396.
  8. Heart valves. American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4598. Accessed Nov. 14, 2008.
  9. Feldman AM, et al. Myocarditis. New England Journal of Medicine. 2000;343:1388.
  10. Moreillon P, et al. Infective endocarditis. The Lancet. 2004;363:139.
  11. Zeller JL, et al. Pericardial effusion. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2007;297:1844.
  12. Control your risk factors. American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=581. Accessed Dec. 2, 2008.
  13. Davis MM, et al. Influenza vaccination as secondary prevention for cardiovascular disease: A science advisory from the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology. Circulation. 2006;114:1553.
  14. Tonetti MS, et al. Treatment of periodontitis and endothelial function. New England Journal of Medicine. 2007;356:911.
  15. Spahr A, et al. Periodontal infections and coronary heart disease. Archives of Internal Medicine. 2006;166:544.
  16. Rosendorff C, et al. Treatment of hypertension in the prevention and management of ischemic heart disease: A scientific statement from the American Heart Association Council for High Blood Pressure Research and the Councils on Clinical Cardiology and Epidemiology and Prevention. Circulation. 2007;115:2761.
  17. Chobanian AV, et al. The seventh report of the Joint National Committee on prevention, detection, evaluation, and treatment of high blood pressure. New England Journal of Medicine. 2003;289:2560.
  18. Fletcher B, et al. Managing abnormal blood lipids: A collaborative approach. Circulation. 2005;112:3184.
  19. Poobalan A, et al. Effect of weight loss in overweight/obese individuals and long-term lipid outcomes - A systematic review. Obesity Reviews. 2004;5:43.
  20. Barbara Woodward Lips Patient Education Center. About your heart-catheter procedures. Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2005.
  21. Echocardiography (ultrasound of the heart). American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3005161. Accessed June 16, 2008.
  22. Electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG). American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3005172. Accessed May 15, 2008.
  23. Cardiac rehabilitation. American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4490. Accessed Nov. 14, 2008.
  24. Natural medicines in the clinical management of hyperlipidemia. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. http://www.naturaldatabase.com. Accessed Dec. 12, 2008.

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Jan. 28, 2009

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