What are the top risk factors for heart disease?
What are the top risk factors for heart disease?
- Introduction
- What are the modifiable risk factors for heart disease?
- What is the relationship between diabetes and heart disease?
- What is meant by epidemiology of rheumatic heart disease?
- How common is the incidence of rheumatic heart disease?
- What are the 5 risk factors for heart disease that you need to know?
Introduction
One of the more acclaimed art directors of movies in South India, Milan Fernandez, passed away tragically as a result of a heart attack in October 2023. Aged only 54 years, he passed away while shooting in Azerbaijan. Celebrities with access to the best of health care, unfortunately succumb to such diseases as a result of being unaware of risk factors for heart disease. Let us take a look at common risk factors that we need to know.
What are the modifiable risk factors for heart disease?
Certain risks related to heart disease can be either changed or modified, and this can lower your risk. This is collectively known as modifiable risk factors for heart disease. Here are some of the some of the risk factors that can be changed to an extent.
- Smoking – by quitting smoking, you can reduce your risk of heart disease to a great extent.
- Blood pressure – when you regulate blood pressure through various methods, including diet, exercise, and medicines, you will reduce overall risk.
- Cholesterol – you can reduce risk by lowering cholesterol levels through diet, exercise, and medicines.
- Weight – by managing weight through diet and exercise you can reduce risk of heart disease.
- Sedentary lifestyle – with regular physical activity you can reduce risk and strengthen the heart.
- Diet – a heart healthy diet low in saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol reduces risk of heart disease. Increase intake of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
- Diabetes – by controlling blood sugar levels through diet, exercise, and medicines, you can reduce the risk of heart disease.
- Alcohol – controlling alcohol intake also lowers risk.
- Stress – relaxation techniques and exercise, contribute to reduced risk of heart disease.
It helps to screen yourself for genetic components of heart disease. A simple sample of blood or saliva is all that is required to determine if you are at risk of developing heart disease in the future, due to genetic reasons. This includes genetically inherited conditions, or congenital conditions. Awareness of this helps to reduce your risk considerably by taking suitable remedial measures.
What is the relationship between diabetes and heart disease?
There is a clear and established link between diabetes and heart disease. People with diabetes are known to have a higher risk of developing heart diseases and other cardiovascular problems. Here’s how diabetes contributes to risk factors for heart disease:
- High blood sugar levels – this gradually damages blood vessels and nerves controlling the heart.
- Atherosclerosis – blood vessels narrow over time or are completely blocked from buildup of plaque. This restricts flow of blood to the heart, increasing risk of heart attack.
- High blood pressure levels – diabetics are more likely to have high blood pressure, increasing stress on heart and blood vessels.
- Obesity – type 2 diabetes is linked to obesity, and this is a risk factor for heart disease, due to increased blood pressure, cholesterol, and insulin resistance.
- High cholesterol and triglycerides – diabetics are known to have high levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. This increases the pace of plaque buildup in the arteries.
- Inflammation – a common condition in diabetes is inflammation, and this contributes to progression of heart disease.
What is meant by epidemiology of rheumatic heart disease?
This refers to the study of the frequency of affliction of this disease, the people affect by it, and risk factors for heart disease that contribute to its progression. Here is a quick overview:
- Prevalence – looks at occurrence among a specific population during a given time. This offers information on the number of people currently living with the disease.
- Incidence – this indicates the number of new cases of rheumatic heart disease. This is calculated for a specific population during a particular period.
- Demographics – looks at groups of people identified as more likely to develop rheumatic heart disease.
- Risk factors – identifies factors that increase the risk of developing rheumatic heart disease. For instance, a history of rheumatic fever, frequent strep throat infections, and unsanitary living conditions.
There are other factors that are also considered, such as the geographical areas that are known to have higher incidence. The trends over a period of time are also factored to draw conclusions.
How common is the incidence of rheumatic heart disease?
This varies, and is based on different regions, with a marked increase in low- and middle-income countries that have increased risk factors for heart disease. Here are some numbers that can help give a broad idea.
- Global – around 282,000 new cases of RHD are recorded every year, on an average.
- Countries that have better incomes and health infrastructure – have relatively lower incidence of RHD averaging less than 1 case per 100,000 people annually.
- Countries with low income and poor health infrastructure – countries in in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, have higher incidence rates. This averages around 5 to 50 cases per 100,000 people annually.
Children and adolescents from the last category are at higher risk, with prevalence rates as high as 100 per 100,000 annually.
What are the 5 risk factors for heart disease that you need to know?
It is now time to look at five risk factors for heart disease as awareness will offer a better approach to treatment.
- High blood pressure levels – also known as hypertension, this makes the heart to work harder than normal. This causes or contributes to faster thickening of the heart muscle apart from causing damage to blood vessels. These two factors considerably increase the risk of heart disease.
- High cholesterol levels – when you have high levels of LDL cholesterol, it can result in buildup of plaque in the arteries. This causes narrowing of the arteries and reducing flow of blood to the heart. This, in turn, causes heart attacks and possibly leads to various other cardiovascular problems. This happen slowly, and over a period of time, and you may not notice it, until it has significantly progressed.
- Smoking – this severely damages the lining of the arteries. This contributes to buildup of plaque, while reducing oxygen levels in the blood. These two conditions force the heart to work harder than normal.
- Diabetes – increases your risk of heart disease considerably, gradually. It contributes to the buildup of plaque in the arteries, resulting in increased blood pressure levels.
- Obesity – if you happen to be overweight, with abdominal fat, there is a risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and insulin resistance. These three factors significantly increase your risk of heart disease.
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Education: Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pharm) from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai Experience: Agarwal is a seasoned pharmacist with over 7 years of experience in the pharmaceutical field. She has worked in various settings, including hospital pharmacies and community clinics, where she has excelled in medication management, patient counseling, and clinical support. Agarwal is known for her expertise in drug therapy optimization and patient safety. In addition to her practical experience, she contributes to health journalism, focusing on pharmaceutical advancements and health policy, and is involved in research projects aimed at improving medication practices and health outcomes. is known for her expertise in drug therapy optimization and patient safety. In addition to her practical experience, she contributes to health journalism, focusing on pharmaceutical advancements and health policy, and is involved in research projects aimed at improving medication practices and health outcomes.