Risk Factors For Acquiring Heart Disease
There are several risk factors for acquiring heart disease; high LDL cholesterol is only one. Family history plays a major role. Should your father have had cardiac arrest or stroke prior to age 55 or your mother had heart disease or stroke prior to 65, you have a higher risk. The same increased risk factor applies if your siblings had cardiac arrest or strokes in those age brackets. High blood pressure, cigarette smoking, diabetic issues, chronic kidney disease, being 30% or even more over your ideal body weight (as determined by your BMI), metabolic syndrome, leading a sedentary lifestyle, HDL of less than 40 mg/dL and females with premature menopause all increase your heart attack and stroke risk factors. A previous personal history of any sort of cardiac event also puts you at a greater risk of getting a cardiac arrest or stroke.
Offsetting factors
There are numerous positive factors that help offset risk factors. High levels of HDL or "good" cholestrerol levels are very helpful in avoiding heart problems or at least offsetting risk factors. The Framingham research and others have suggested that for each single point increase in HDL, there is a corresponding drop in your risk of experiencing a heart attack by 2%-3%. Some of us are just plain lucky and are born with high HDL. Other folks are not so lucky and find it difficult to raise their HDL and even with excessive physical activity are helpless to raise it. HDL below 40 is considered a risk factor. HDL of more than 60 is considered a positive factor for cardiovascular disease. Total cholesterol readings are not the best measure of cardiovascular disease risk. Though high HDL levels and low LDL levels are no guarantee, your risk factors are most assuredly reduced with high HDL and further reduced with low LDL levels. Overall or total high cholesterol levels are less accurate as a predictor but most often a higher total cholesterol reading is as a result of high LDL.
Physical activity a precautionary for heart problems
Regular exercise or physical activity is a very real and effective way to reduce the risk of cardiac arrest and strokes. Cardio exercise is the most effective way to strengthen your heart muscle, increase HDL levels and lower blood pressure. To get the most heart health benefit out of any training session, you have to get your heart rate elevated. If you have not worked out for an extended time period and otherwise lead an inactive lifestyle, you should consult your physician before starting any workout program. Once you have been given the go ahead you still need to start slow and increase your exertion at a pace you are comfortable with for two reasons. Firstly is your muscles as well as your heart need time to build up. Trying to do it all at once will make you sore and may not be the best for your heart. The second reason is that if you injure yourself by using muscles and tendons which are not used to that type of intense use, you may end up with injuries or be so sore that you don't feel like staying consistent with your training session. Consistency is the most important factor. You will improve your conditioning rapidly if you are regular with your newfound exercise session.
Heart Disease Prevention Means Rethinking Diet And Lifestyle
Heart disease prevention includes taking corrective action with regard to the root of the problem. You can make a change in lifestyle and also change your diet so that the chances of heart disease are greatly minimized.
Typical Warning Signs Of Heart Disease Everyone Should Know
Before one can seek effective treatment for heart disease, one needs to realize that a heart condition exists. While this would seem like an academic point, the truth of the matter is that many people are completely unaware that they may have heart disease.
Condensed Guide To Heart Disease Treatment Therapies
As you search for a heart disease treatment keep in mind that, when dealing with cardiovascular disease, you want to improve the health of both the heart and the blood vessels.
Could There Be An Authentic Heart Disease Cure?
Advances in cellular therapy hold great potential for treating damaged and diseased tissues in the body, such as heart muscle, and they can come from a variety of sources, like stem cells from bone marrow and peripheral blood.
Issues That Must Be Taken Into Consideration To Promote The Health Of The Heart In A Person.
There are several factors that need to be considered in order to promote the health of the heart in an individual.
Detecting The Signs Of Rheumatic Heart Disease And Surgical Treatment For Rheumatic Heart Disease
Rheumatic heart disease a condition in which the heart valves are damaged by rheumatic fever, which is an inflammatory disease that can affect many of the body's connective tissues, especially those in the areas of the heart, joints, brain and skin.