A virtual wellness program offered by the National Institute for Fitness and Sport and provided to you through your employer.

Heart Disease Risk Factors

Risk factors are defined as measurements or behaviors that medical research has shown to be associated with (but not necessarily be the cause of) a significant increase in the risk of heart and blood vessel disease. The American Heart Association has categorized heart disease risk factors as follows:

Major Risk Factors That Can Be Changed:

• Cigarette smoking

• High blood pressure (>140/90 mm Hg)

• High blood cholesterol (>240 mg/dl)

• Physical inactivity

Major Risk Factors That Can't Be Changed:

• Heredity

• Being Male

• Increasing age

Other Contributing Factors:

• Diabetes

• Obesity (more than 20 percent overweight)

• Stress

The danger of heart attack increases with the number of risk factors. Often people who are stricken with heart disease have several risk factors, each of which is only marginally abnormal. Reducing risk factors can have a major effect on improving health.

Researchers have estimated that individuals could add 12 years to their life expectancy if they simply ate the American Heart Association diet (low in fat and cholesterol), kept serum cholesterol under 200 mg/dl, kept systolic blood pressure below 140 mmHg (120 mmHg recommended) and did not smoke.

In related findings, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has calculated the proportions of coronary heart disease deaths attributable to five major risk factors.  They have concluded that high serum cholesterol is most predictive of heart disease risk while inactivity is ranked second.