Some conditions and lifestyle factors place people at a higher risk for developing heart disease.
Conditions:
1) Blood Cholesterol Levels: AKA atherosclerosis. Too much cholesterol in the body causes this waxy substance to stick to the inside of blood vessel walls-including vessels supplied to the heart. This can lead to narrowing of the arteries causing reduced blood flow and heart disease.
2) High Blood Pressure: if pressure of the blood in the arteries is too high it increases the risk for heart disease and heart attack. There are often no signs of high blood pressure-giving it the nickname "the silent killer".
3) Diabetes Mellitus: sugar build up in the blood can damage blood vessels.
Behaviors:
4) Tobacco Use: increases blood pressure, reduces oxygen in the blood, promotes atherosclerosis & increases levels of blood clotting factors
5) Diet: diets high in saturated fats and cholesterol promote the likelihood of atherosclerosis & diets high in salt (sodium) raise blood pressure
6) Physical Inactivity: is related to heart disease and risk factors like obesity, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, low levels of HDL (good) cholesterol, and diabetes.
7) Obesity: excess body fat is linked to high levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
8) Alcohol: excessive alcohol use raises blood pressure and increases levels of triglycerides
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