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Risk Factors for Heart Disease
Many risk factors are associated with
cardiovascular disease; most can be managed, but some cannot. The
aging process and hereditary predisposition are risk factors that
cannot be altered. Until age 50, men are at greater risk than women
of developing heart disease, though once a woman enters menopause,
her risk triples. The key to avoiding heart disease is understanding
what these risk factors are and taking steps, when possible, to
address them.
Cholesterol
Although it is by no means the only major risk factor, elevated
serum cholesterol is clearly associated with a high risk of heart
disease. Low HDL cholesterol (known as the "good" cholesterol) and
high LDL cholesterol (known as the "bad" cholesterol) are more specifically
linked to cardiovascular disease than is total cholesterol. Nevertheless,
most doctors suggest cholesterol levels should stay under 200 mg/dl.
In fact, many doctors consider cholesterol levels of no more than
180 to be optimal. Read
more...
Triglycerides
Triglycerides (TGs) are a group of fatty compounds that circulate
in the bloodstream and are stored in the fat tissue. Individuals
who have elevated blood levels of TGs (known as hypertriglyceridemia)
appear to be at increased risk of developing heart disease. People
with diabetes often have elevated TG levels. Successfully controlling
diabetes will, in some cases, lead to normalization of TG levels.
Read
more...
Homocysteine
Homocysteine, a normal breakdown product of the essential amino
acid, methionine, is believed to exert several toxic effects. A
growing body of evidence suggests that an elevated homocysteine
level is a risk factor for heart disease, independent of other known
risk factors, such as elevated serum cholesterol and hypertension.
The evidence is not all one-sided, however. In some research the
link has appeared only in women, and a few scientists still have
doubts about the importance of elevations in homocysteine for anyone.
The clear association between elevated homocysteine levels and heart
disease reported in most studies5 does not conclusively prove that
homocysteine causes heart disease. It might only be a marker for
something else that is the real culprit. Read
more...
Hypertension
Hypertension (high blood pressure) is a major risk factor for cardiovascular
disease, and the risk increases as blood pressure rises. Approximately
90% of people with high blood pressure have "essential" or "idiopathic"
hypertension, for which the cause is poorly understood. The terms
"hypertension" and "high blood pressure" as used here refer only
to this most common form and not to pregnancy-induced hypertension
or that clearly linked to a known cause, such as Cushing's syndrome,
pheochromocytoma, or kidney disease. As with conventional drugs,
the use of natural substances sometimes controls blood pressure
if taken consistently but does not lead to a cure for high blood
pressure. Thus, someone whose blood pressure is successfully reduced
by weight loss, avoidance of salt, and increased intake of fruits
and vegetables would need to maintain these changes permanently
in order to retain control of blood pressure. Read
more...
Obesity
About one-third of the U.S. population is overweight. One in five
people not only exceeds ideal weight, but also meets the clinical
criteria for obesity. In the 1990s, rates of obesity more than doubled,
and are currently rising by over 5% per year. Overweight individuals
are more likely to have additional risk factors related to heart
disease, specifically hypertension, high blood sugar levels, high
cholesterol, high triglycerides, and diabetes. Because excess body
weight is implicated as a risk factor for many different disorders
maintaining a healthy body weight seems prudent. However, losing
weight and keeping it off is, unfortunately, very difficult for
most people. Read
more... |
