What are the common risk factors of heart disease?
What Are The Common Risk Factors Of Heart Disease?
- Introduction
- What Is The Connection Between Obesity And Heart Disease?
- Is There A Link Between Snoring And Heart Disease?
- Quick Outline Of Triglycerides And Heart Disease Impact
- How Is Intermittent Fasting And Heart Disease Related To Each Other – Positively And Negatively?
- What Are The Causes Of Coronary Heart Disease?
Introduction
Broadly divided as modifiable and non-modifiable, the risk factors of heart disease contribute to the development or progression of the condition. It is important to be fully aware of these risk factors and take suitable remedial measures to reduce the risk of heart disease. This can be tackled through early detection, identification of symptoms and following recommended mitigating measures. Here is a quick overview of risks and conditions that are linked to heart disease.
What Is The Connection Between Obesity And Heart Disease?
Obesity is closely linked to heart disease and is considered as one of the risk factors of heart disease. This is mainly because excessive body weight leads to conditions that increase the risk of heart disease. Here is a quick look at the connection between obesity and heart disease:
Aggravates/contributes to cardiovascular problems
- Obesity results in conditions that increase the possibility of developing or aggravating heart disease. For instance, excess body fat is known to elevate blood pressure levels, and this strains the heart, damaging arteries.
- Obesity is also linked with high levels of LDL cholesterol and low levels of HDL cholesterol. This causes plaque buildup in the arteries.
- Obesity can lead to diabetes, and this increases the risk of heart disease as high blood sugar levels damage blood vessels gradually.
Strain on heart
Obesity adds to the workload on the heart, as blood needs to be pumped to bigger body mass. This causes left ventricular hypertrophy, where the heart’s left ventricle thickens due to the increased workload. This increases the risk of heart failure.
Inflammation, fat buildup
- Obesity causes low-grade inflammation in the body, and this chronic condition leads to atherosclerosis.
- Fat in the abdominal area is known as visceral fat, and is harmful and clearly linked with heart disease.
Other risk factors
Obese people often lead a sedentary lifestyle, increasing risk of heart disease.
Obesity may cause from sleep apnea, wherein breathing is interrupted during sleep. This causes high blood pressure, irregular heartbeats, and develops into heart disease.
Is There A Link Between Snoring And Heart Disease?
Yes, snoring is linked to heart disease, mainly because of the link between obstructive sleep apnea and heart disease. Sleep apnea, as mentioned above is one of the risk factors of heart disease. Here is a look at the link between snoring and heart disease:
- Obstructive sleep apnea – is a condition when the airway repeatedly gets blocked while asleep. This has an impact on breathing and causes the person to wake up. While snoring is a symptom of OSA, it is wrong to assume that all people who snore may have sleep apnea. When the airway is repeatedly blocked, this reduces blood oxygen levels, increasing the strain on the cardiovascular system.
- Risks from obstructive sleep apnea – include high blood pressure levels, and hypertension is regarded as a silent killer, with the risk increasing over time. Other risks of developing heart disease include coronary artery disease, heart failure, arrhythmias, stroke, and atrial fibrillation.
Quick Outline Of Triglycerides And Heart Disease Impact
One of the key risk factors of heart disease include triglycerides. Here is a quick overview of triglycerides and impact on heart disease. Triglycerides are essentially a type of fat in the blood, that stores energy from food intake. This is then utilized when there is a requirement for energy between meals.
The normal range for triglycerides is less than 150 mg/dL, while the borderline is 150–199 mg/dL. Levels between 200–499 mg/dL are considered as high, while levels above 500 mg/dL are classified as very high. High levels of triglycerides contribute to the plaque buildup in the arteries, causing atherosclerosis. High triglyceride levels are linked with increased risk of coronary artery disease, heart attack, stroke, and type 2 diabetes
How Is Intermittent Fasting And Heart Disease Related To Each Other – Positively And Negatively?
Intermittent fasting is linked to heart disease positively as well as negatively. Here is an overview of this link, touching upon one of the risk factors of heart disease.
Positive effects
- Intermittent fasting can reduce total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides, as a result of reduced calorie intake.
- Intermittent fasting is also known to decrease inflammation in the body, due to reduced oxidative stress.
- Weight loss is another benefit that reduces the risk factors for heart disease, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.
- Insulin sensitivity improves in people on intermittent fasting, thereby managing blood sugar levels.
Negative effects
- Possibility of overeating during phases of eating, that may cancel the benefits of fasting.
- There is a possibility of not meeting the body’s nutrient requirements.
- Extended fasting is likely to impact heart rate and rhythm, though this is only for a small percentage of people.
What Are The Causes Of Coronary Heart Disease?
The main causes of coronary heart disease, also known as coronary artery disease is due to blocked or narrowed coronary arteries. This causes reduced flow of blood to the heart muscle. Here is a quick overview of the main reasons which also happen to be risk factors of heart disease:
- Atherosclerosis – refers to the condition where fatty deposits on the walls of the coronary arteries, result in narrowing, reducing blood flow. This is due to high levels of LDL, high blood pressure, high blood sugar and smoking.
- Risk factors – are classified as unmodifiable and modifiable. The unmodifiable risk factors include age, gender, and family history. People with a family history of heart disease may be at increased risk. This is due to genetic predisposition, that can be ascertained through advanced genetic testing facilities in Tamilnadu. Blood or saliva samples are collected for analysis, and the test reports will either rule out or confirm genetic predisposition. The modifiable risk factors include high blood pressure, high levels of LDL cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, obesity and lifestyle. These risk factors can be reduced through medications, changes in lifestyle and dietary habits.
- Other contributing factors – include chronic inflammation from existing conditions, chronic stress, sleep apnea, wrong diet and physically inactive lifestyle.
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Shetty B s a cardiologist in Chennai, with extensive experience in the field. He completed his MBBS from Madurai Kamaraj University, followed by an MD in General Medicine and a DM in Cardiology from The Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University (TNMGRMU).