Risk Factors Associated With Coronary Heart Disease

Did you know that having high cholesterol places you at risk for developing atherosclerosis? Atherosclerosis is a waxy plaque buildup that forms on the inner surface of arteries and veins. As this plaque builds up over time, it begins to limit the amount of blood that is able to carry nutrients to the organs and tissues. When this also happens within the arteries that supply blood to the heart, the condition is referred to coronary heart disease. CHD can be deadly, because if the heart cannot get nutrients from the blood because of an occlusion, it is not able to adequately pump blood to the rest of the body.

There are many factors that can contribute to coronary artery disease, and high cholesterol levels are one of the most important, modifiable factors for this condition. What can you do to lower your risk of heart disease? The following listed below are other factors that can be modified to prevent the development of coronary artery disease:

Regulate your cholesterol levels.
Cholesterol levels are one of the most modifiable risk factors you could have for developing atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease. Ideally, you would want your total cholesterol levels to be below 200 mg/dL and your LDL cholesterol levels to be below 100 mg/dL (the new guidelines designate that certain high risk individuals should have this number at or lower than 70 mg/dL. Your HDL cholesterol (also known as the "good" cholesterol) should be above 40 mg/dL. Having high levels of HDL is a good thing, since it can exert a cardioprotective effect. Research has shown that aggressively treating cholesterol levels may prevent heart disease.

Stop smoking!
Many correlate smoking with lung cancer, however, nicotine addiction can be closely linked to another significant condition: heart disease. Smoking raises LDL cholesterol, lowers HDL cholesterol, and increases platelet aggregation. When this is coupled with the irritation smoking exerts on the arterial lining, it is a recipe for a potential disaster. According to the World Health Organization, you could cut your risk of CHD by half after quitting for one year, and with each subsequent year, your risk drops lower.

Check your blood pressure
Hypertension is a silent killer that also places you at risk for heart disease. Many people do not know they have high blood pressure until a routine visit to their health care practitioner. It doesn't necessarily affect cholesterol levels, but if it is ignored its effects can be deadly.

Eat healthy
Maintaining a healthy diet plays an important role in good heart health. This would include consuming a diet high in whole grains, fiber, fruits, and vegetables while limiting your consumption of saturated fats and trans fats (these are fats found in many cookies and snack foods).

Get some exercise.
Your heart is a muscle and exercise can benefit this. Moderate exercise can raise HDL levels, lower LDL levels, lower blood pressure, and prevent weight gain. During the week, you should exercise about 30 minutes 5 to 6 days out of the week. Even if you are not a marathon runner or a gymnast, you would be surprised how much benefit you can derive out of running up those steps instead of taking the elevator, or taking a brisk walk on a nice day.

Lose weight
If you are obese, losing 5-10% of your body weight can improve your cholesterol levels. Being overweight places you at risk for not only high cholesterol levels, but also type II diabetes mellitus. These two conditions are major risk factors for developing heart disease. By controlling your weight, you are also controlling your cholesterol and helping your heart to stay healthy.