The causes of heart disease are well-known. One factor we have no control over is heredity, the luck of the draw in the genes we received from our parents. But many other causative agents are almost synonymous with modern urban living: stress, smoking, a diet high in saturated fat, and a sedentary life-style.
The box on this page lists the leading cardiovascular risk factors, according to the American Heart Association. If you have any two of these factors, you should be concerned about the increased risk of suffering heart disease. If you have more than two, you should actively strive to eliminate all those you can, for these factors have a sort of multiplier effect: the more you have, the more dangerous each of them is.
Let’s explore some of the most important risk factors.
MAJOR CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS
Genetic Factors
• Male sex
• Family history (parent or sibling) of heart attack under age fifty-five
Life-style Factors
• Lack of exercise
• High blood pressure
• High blood cholesterol
• Smoking
• Obesity
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