Are You at Risk for Heart Disease?

Not knowing you're at risk can be the biggest risk of all

Men, women, children ... young, old ... are all at risk for heart attack and should make lifestyle adjustments accordingly. A heart attack may happen to anyone, but in general, according to the American Heart Association, there are certain people more at risk for a heart attack. You must take the time to learn which of the risk factors apply to you, specifically, so that you can begin to take steps to eliminate or reduce them.

What puts you at risk?

• A family history of heart disease (especially with onset before age 55 for a male, and age 65 for a female) in first-degree relatives including mother, father, siblings and children
• Smoking
• Being overweight by 30 percent click here for a Body Mass Index chart
• Lack of exercise
• Diabetes – more than 65 percent of people with diabetes die from heart disease or stroke
• Low levels of HDL (high-density lipoprotein) or high levels of LDL (low-density lipoprotein) blood cholesterol
• Having hypertension—high blood pressure
• Age
• Being post-menopausal—generally, men are at risk at an earlier age than women, but after the onset of menopause, women are equally at risk
• Stress

What can you do to manage your risks?

• Figure out which risk factors apply to you, then take steps to eliminate or reduce them either medically or through lifestyle changes
• See your doctor to get a cardiac risk assessment
• Be aware that conditions such as hypertension or abnormal cholesterol levels are silent killers—meaning there are no symptoms

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