There are several risk factors for developing heart disease;
high LDL cholesterol is only one. Family history plays a major role. If your father had a heart attack or stroke prior to age 55 or your mother had a heart attack or stroke prior to 65, you have a higher risk. The same increased risk factor applies if your siblings had heart attacks or strokes in those age brackets. High blood pressure, cigarette smoking, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, being 30% or 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 women 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 higher risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
Offsetting factors
There are various positive factors that help offset risk factors. High levels of HDL or "good" cholesterol are very beneficial in avoiding heart disease or at least offsetting risk factors. The Framingham study and others have suggested that for each single point increase in HDL, there is a corresponding drop in your risk of going into cardiac arrest by 2%-3%. Some of us are just plain lucky and are born with high HDL. Other folks are not so fortunate and struggle 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 over 60 is considered a positive factor for heart disease. Total cholesterol readings are not the best measure of heart disease risk. Even 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 high total cholesterol reading is attributable to high LDL.
Physical activity a precautionary for heart disease
Consistent exercise or physical activity is a very real and effective way to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Cardiovascular exercise is the most effective way to strengthen your heart muscle, raise HDL levels and reduce blood pressure. To get the most heart health benefit out of any workout, you need to get your heart rate elevated. If you have not worked out for an extended period of time and otherwise lead a sedentary lifestyle, you ought to consult your physician before starting any exercise regime. 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. First is your muscles including your heart need time to build up. Trying to do it all at once will make you sore and may not be the smartest for your heart. The second reason is that if you injure yourself by using muscles and tendons which are not accustomed to that kind of intense use, you may end up with injuries or be so sore that you don't feel like staying consistent with your exercise session. Consistency is the most important factor. You will increase your conditioning quickly if you are regular with your newfound exercise routine.
Factors That Must Be Considered To Promote The Health Of The Heart In An Individual.There are several factors that need to be considered in order to promote the health of the heart in an individual.
Methods To Reduce LDL Levels: Guide To Achieve An Extended And Healthy LifeLDL or Low Density Lipoprotein is one of the most important risk factors with respect to heart disease. However, it is definitely unlike most other risk factors of heart disease as it can be managed or lowered. In order to ensure a healthy heart, the LDL levels should be definitely below 160mg/dL.
Diabetes And Heart Disease: Remedies For Curing One Might Fight Other As WellWhen it comes to diabetes and heart disease, there are a variety of different things that you need to consider. Regardless of the type of diabetes you may have, taking charge of it as much as possible will greatly reduce your risk of disability or death from either disease.
Most Common Danger Signals Of Heart Disease Everyone Should KnowBefore 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.
A Brief Summary Of Heart DiseaseHeart disease remains one of the major causes of premature death in the world today. While this news might sound grim on the surface, the reality is that the sheer volume of premature deaths brought about by heart disease has declined significantly in recent years.
