Know Your Risk Factors

Some cardiovascular disease risk factors are beyond your control, like your age, gender, ethnicity and family history, but you’re not helpless. By committing to healthy choices, you reduce your risk of heart disease and improve your quality of life. Below are the controllable risk factors for heart disease, as identified by the American Heart Association.

• Alcohol Use

• Drinking alcohol does not necessarily increase your risk for heart disease, as long as it is done in moderation. However, drinking too much alcohol can lead to high blood pressure and obesity, as well as a whole host of health problems. 

  Drinking in moderation is defined as one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men. Limiting yourself to that average may help you lower your odds of heart trouble. As a bonus, it reduces your stroke risk, too.

  If you find that you or someone you love is experiencing difficulty moderating their drinking, here are some resources that may help:

  • Blog - How do you know if your drinking is a problem?
  • Article - Alcoholism and Family History
  • Article - Alcohol and Your Heart

• Blood Pressure

• High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, damages your blood vessels, making your heart work harder to do its job. In the U.S., 1 in 3 adults suffer from hypertension, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A healthy diet and regular exercise regimen are the best ways to control your blood pressure. Abstaining from or quitting smoking is also important.

  To get started, here are some resources that may help you better understand and naturally regulate blood pressure:

  • Article - High Blood Pressure
  • Video - How to Take Your Blood Pressure
  • Video - Eating Well with High Blood Pressure

• Cholesterol

• Cholesterol is a waxy substance your body needs for building cells. There are two kinds: good cholesterol, known as HDL, and bad cholesterol, known as LDL. Too much bad cholesterol in your blood can build up in your arteries, causing the arteries themselves to become less flexible and increasing the chances of a clogged artery.

  To get started, here are some resources that may help you better understand and naturally regulate cholesterol:

  • Article - Cholesterol in Your Blood
  • Article - Understanding Cholesterol Testing
  • Video - Eating Well with Heart Disease

• Diabetes

• People with diabetes are between two and four times as likely to die from heart disease as people without diabetes, according to the American Heart Association. That is a strong correlation. If you have diabetes, one of the best ways to reduce your risk of heart disease is to control your diabetes. Follow through with instructions from your physician. Regulate your diet, get exercise and take your medications as prescribed.

  To get started, here are some resources that may help better understand and naturally regulate diabetes:

  • Blog - Diabetes puts people at greater risk for heart disease
  • Blog - Those living with prediabetes - a staggering number
  • Video - Managing Your Type 2 Diabetes

• Physical Activity

• Exercise decreases your chances of heart disease. It prevents dangerous plaque from building up in your arteries, which can become clogged, causing a heart attack. Exercise also reduces your risk for high cholesterol and high blood pressure, both of which are risk factors for heart disease. The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes per week of moderate aerobic exercise, or 75 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic exercise.

  To get started, here are some resources that may help:

  • Blog - There's still time to Move More toward a heart-healthy lifestyle
  • Article - Exercise Your Way to a Healthy Heart
  • Article - Exercise and Target Heart Rate

• Stress

• High levels of stress can contribute to things like high blood pressure and high cholesterol. It can also drive you to behaviors – drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes and physical inactivity – that increase your risk of heart disease. Commit to behaviors that help you deal with stress in a healthy way.

  If you find you're having difficulty managing your stress levels, here are some resources that may help:

  • Free Resource - OSF SilverCloud, an online tool for learning to cope with anxiety, depression and stress
  • Quiz - Understanding Your Response to Stress
  • Article - Stress Can Increase Your Risk for Heart Disease

• Tobacco Use

• Smoking is known to increase a type of fact in your blood called "triglycerides," lower good cholesterol, increase clotting risk, damage blood vessels and increase plaque build-up. Even second-hand smoke has been shown to impact cardiovascular health, so quitting also helps the people around you avoid health issues. When you quit smoking, you can start reaping the benefits within minutes, according to the World Health Organization.

  To get started, here are some resources that may help kick the habit:

  • Video - Making the Decision to Quit Smoking
  • Article - Quit Smoking Tools: Help for Kicking Your Habit
  • Program - Smoking Cessation

• Weight Management

• Obesity increases your likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease. Losing weight or maintaining a healthy weight not only helps you avoid heart health troubles, it also helps you feel better physically and mentally. Exercise and diet are two main methods to controlling weight. A regular exercise regime and healthy food choices can help you control your weight, blood pressure and cholesterol, all of which are risk factors for heart disease.

  To get started, here are some resources that may help manage weight:

  • Blog - Are your weight loss goals SMART?
  • Video - How to Manage Your Weight
  • Resource - Recipe Library (Dietitian-Approved Recipes)