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Healthy Heart
CAUSES
OF HEART DISEASES
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There are many factors, personal, lifestyle, hereditary, and medical, that can
be a risk for your heart and lead to heart disease. They may act individually
or jointly in the progression of heart disease.
Some
factors, such as smoking, are within your power to control. Others, such as a
family history of heart disease, are risks that you have to live with. |
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However,
one thing is certain, by working to eliminate those risk factors that are controllable,
and by adopting a healthier lifestyle in general, you can greatly reduce your
risk for heart disease.
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Heredity : Heredity is one of the most important factors that leads to
heart problems. A person with a family history of heart disease is at a higher
risk of having heart problems at some stage in life. This does not mean that all
persons with a family history of heart disease will definitely have heart attacks.
With proper diet control and a sensible exercise regime, the risk factor can be
reduced.
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Sedentary Lifestyle : Inactive lifestyle leads to obesity and also decreases
the HDL levels that help to remove excess cholesterol from our blood. People who
have a very lazy lifestyle are 3 times at risk of a heart attack than those with
active lifestyles.
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Obesity : Excessive fat deposition is the root cause of obesity and most
obese individuals are prone to complications of the heart. It is also proven that
people who have high fat deposits on their abdomen (apple shaped obesity) have
a higher risk of developing heart disease than those who have more fat deposits
on their hips or thighs (pear shaped obesity). Most doctors take into account
waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) in determining how prone the person is to have heart
problems. Dividing the waist measurements by the hip measurements in inches determines
this ratio. Men who have a WHR greater than 0.9 and women who have a WHR greater
than 0.85 are more prone to heart diseases. (If a person's waist measures 44 inches
in circumference and the hips measure 40 inches in circumference the waist-to-hip
ratio (WHR) is 1.1).
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Improper Eating Habits : Improper eating habits like excessive consumption
of fat and sugar are a ladder to obesity which in turn can cause heart disease/
Avoiding fibre rich fruits, vegetables and whole grains like wheat, jowar etc.
and replacing them with refined foods are also unhealthy eating habits. The reason
being fibre is necessary to increase the HDL levels and decrease the LDL levels
to protect the heart.
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Age : The risk of heart disease increases with age, peaking at middle age
around 50 to 55 years. It is advisable to be cautious about our dietary patterns
as the incidence of heart disease increases by approx. 5% every 5 years after
the age of 35.
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Gender : Men are said to be at a greater risk than women are in developing
heart disease, especially over 45 years of age. Amongst women, post menopausal
women are at a higher risk, as a decline in the hormone estrogen leads to a decrease
in HDL and an increase in LDL levels. Hence women under the age of 55 are at least
risk as they are pre-menopausal.
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Smoking and Tobacco : People who smoke and chew or sniff tobacco are more
susceptible to heart diseases as the nicotine in the tobacco lowers HDL levels
and also narrows the arteries, thus obstructing the flow of oxygen and nutrients
to the heart. Passive smoking for a prolonged period has also been proven to be
a cause of heart disease.
Also in this Section
Introduction
How
our Heart Function
Facts
about Fat
Eating
Smart for a Healthy Heart
Are
all Beverages good for Heart?
Fortify
your Diet with Fibre
Surrender the Sugar
& Salt Habit
Cooking Healthy at
Home
Eating Out Sensibly
Energize
with Exercise
Healthy
Heart Recipes
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