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Risk Factors for Heart Disease

Posted: April 1, 2007

Many things can put a person at risk for heart disease. There are some factors that you can't control such as age, family health history and race.

But you can do something about the three biggest risk factors for heart disease — smoking, high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol.

Smoking
Stopping smoking will reduce your risk. You can get help through support groups, special behavior change programs, and medication.

Being around tobacco smoke for large amounts of time, or all the time, can increase a person's risk for cardiovascular disease, even if you do not smoke.

High blood pressure and high cholesterol
High blood pressure and high blood cholesterol can be controlled through diet, exercise, and medication. Talk with your health care provider about developing a plan to lower your blood pressure and cholesterol.

Inactivity
Studies have shown that physical inactivity adds to a person's risk for getting heart disease. People who are not active are twice as likely to develop cardiovascular disease compared to those who are more active.

Being overweight
Excess body weight is linked with coronary heart disease, stroke, congestive heart failure, and death from heart-related causes. The more overweight you are, the higher your risk for heart disease.

Diabetes
Diabetes, sometimes referred to as high blood sugar, is a serious condition that raises a person's risk for heart disease. Diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity often go hand-in-hand, raising a person's risk for cardiovascular disease even more.

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

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