Presence of high cholesterol and high blood pressure are the two major heart disease risk factors. Though there are other factors, these two factors are sure signs for presence of heart disease in a person and the person should immediately seek medical intervention to avoid any sudden heart attack or stroke.
In majority of the diagnosed cases of heart disease, a simple change in life style is all what is required to get the heart disease risk reduced to a well manageable level. Once the person has been identified to run a risk of heart disease, then due care must be accorded to follow-up the situation so as to keep the heart disease risk at bay.
In United States alone, almost 20 percent of deaths were due to heart diseases and among the various causes, the LDL or the Low Density Lipo-protein is the major cause. Unfortunately, people were not made to understand that controlling LDL levels is the easiest one out of all other heart disease risks.
A high cholesterol level in blood can pose as a greatest heart disease risk and you can have an effective control over this bad cholesterol by controlling your diet, say by avoiding foods that are high in animal fats and other trans fatty acids. A strict avoidance of animal fats coupled with sufficient intake of fresh fruits and vegetables can go a long way in showering many benefits on you.
High blood pressure is a yet another heart disease risk factor and efforts to control your blood pressure can really help in reducing the risks of heart disease. Nicotine imbibed into your system through smoking or by other means can result in shrinking of arteries and a high blood pressure.
Due to shrinkage of blood vessels, your heart will start to work harder to pump the blood and in the process lose its efficiency over a period of time and fall silent one day suddenly. The heart condition of a smoker will take a minimum of 3 to 4 years to get back to its original shape after quitting the smoking habit and only after this period it will stop posing as a heart disease risk.
Few Other Potential Risk Factors
Obesity and overweight can also be treated as heart disease risk factors. If a person doesn t conform to the body weight standards based on the age and height, then such person may be at a risk of getting heart disease. Further, even a small reduction in body weight can greatly reduce the associated heart disease risk.
In an overweight person, the heart needs to work extra harder for pumping blood and in the process the heart may lose a major portion of its efficiency much faster. Further, obese persons are very much susceptible to get diabetes, which is again considered as a heart disease risk factor.
Lack of exercise and a sedentary lifestyle are also known to cause heart disease in a person and hence considered as potential heart disease risk factors. A well-planned exercise schedule can strengthen heart muscles and increase its efficiency.
Cholesterol is another high heart disease risk factor, and hence if a person learn to control the blood cholesterol level, can effectively control heart disease.
Though medications are required for reduction of cholesterol, a good exercise coupled with diet control can help in keeping the blood cholesterol level under check without any need for medication. In case of high blood pressure, you may seek doctor s prescription for effectively reducing the pressure levels.
The effects of heart disease risk factors will vary with persons, but the fundamental risk involved is similar in all cases. In order to escape from the clutches of heart diseases, learn to eat a healthy and right food, do exercise and follow your doctor s prescriptions without fail.
[tags]Obesity, Healthy Food, Cholesterol[/tags]