Page 17 - Mended Hearts-HeartGuide
P. 17
LIFESTYLE AND RISK FACTORS OF CORONARY HEART DISEASES
Type 1 diabetes – This type of diabetes tends to emerge during CAN I DRINK IN
childhood. (Type 2 diabetes, the onset of which can be prevented, is MODERATION?
discussed below.) Diabetes seriously increases your risk of developing
cardiovascular disease. Even when glucose (blood sugar) levels are under Some studies have
control, diabetes increases the risk of heart disease and stroke, but the found that the risk of heart
risks are even greater if blood sugar is not well controlled. If you have disease in people who drink
diabetes, it’s extremely important to work with your health care team to moderate amounts of alcohol
manage it and control any other risk factors you can. is lower than nondrinkers.
Moderate means an average
Risk Factors That Can Be Changed of one drink for women or two
drinks for men per day. One
Let’s turn to the many things we can do—or stop doing—to stave off heart disease: drink is defined as one-and-a-
half ounces of 80-proof spirits, 5
Tobacco use – Smokers’ risk of developing coronary heart disease is two ounces of wine, or 12 ounces of
to three times that of nonsmokers. People with heart disease who smoke beer. It’s not recommended that
cigarettes are twice as likely to die from sudden death than nonsmokers. nondrinkers start using alcohol
Cigarette smoking also acts with other risk factors to greatly increase the or that drinkers increase the
risk for coronary artery disease. Second-hand smoke increases the risk of amount they drink.
heart disease, even for nonsmokers. Smokeless tobacco also increases the
risk. Explore smoking cessation programs with your doctor; once you quit, 13
it takes just two years for your heart attack risk to normalize.
High blood cholesterol – As the “bad” blood cholesterol—LDL (low-
density lipoprotein)—rises, so does risk of coronary artery disease. Most
health experts agree that individuals with a total cholesterol level of greater
than 200 mg/dl are at higher risk. When combined with other risk factors
(e.g., high blood pressure and tobacco smoke), the risk is even greater.
Age, gender, heredity, and diet also affect our cholesterol levels. (See
page 14 for more about cholesterol.)
High blood pressure (hypertension) – High blood pressure increases
the heart’s workload, causing the heart to thicken and become stiffer. It
also increases your risk of stroke, heart attack, kidney failure, and heart
failure. When high blood pressure exists with obesity, smoking, high blood
cholesterol levels, or diabetes, the risk of heart attack or stroke increases.
Physical inactivity – An inactive lifestyle is a risk factor for coronary
artery disease. Regular, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity helps prevent
heart and blood vessel disease. The more activity you can safely perform,
the greater your benefits. However, even moderate-intensity activities, like
walking in the mall or around the neighborhood, help if done regularly and
over the long term. Exercise can help control blood cholesterol, diabetes,
and obesity, and it can even lower blood pressure in some people.
Weight and obesity – People who have excess body fat—especially if a
lot of it is at the waist—are more likely to develop heart disease and stroke
even if they have no other risk factors. Excess weight increases the heart’s
work. It also raises blood pressure and blood cholesterol and triglyceride
levels, and lowers “good” HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol
levels. It can also make you more likely to develop diabetes. Many obese
