Heart attack 101

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Risk Factors

As with other heart conditions, there are several heart attack risk factors you can’t control. These include:

• Age: Men over the age of 45 and women over the age of 55 have an increased risk for heart attack.
• Family History: Individuals with a parent or sibling who has had a heart attack or a family history of heart disease have a higher risk.
• Gender: Men have a higher heart attack risk.
• Diabetes: People with diabetes have six times the risk of having a heart attack as those without diabetes.

Thankfully, there are many more risk factors you can control, including:

• Smoking: According to cardiologist Jennifer H. Mieres, M.D., nicotine inhaled in tobacco products decreases oxygen to the heart, causes blood vessels to constrict, and increases heart rate. Smoking also increases blood pressure, decreases HDL (good) cholesterol, and increases the tendency for blood to clot.
• Excess Weight or Obesity: Excess weight taxes the heart and the cardiovascular system. People who are overweight or obese have a higher risk of heart attack.
• High Blood Pressure: Hypertension puts extra strain on the heart and cardiovascular system, over time that stress can lead to a heart attack.
• High Cholesterol: Excess cholesterol in the blood has been linked to plaque buildup in the arteries, increasing heart attack risk.
• Sedentary Lifestyle: Physical activity keeps the heart healthy; without it, the heart muscle gets weaker, and over time this increases heart attack risk.