There are many risk factors that cause heart disease. Some are controllable and some are uncontrollable.

The uncontrollable risks factors are:

• Male gender
• Age group
• Family history
• Post-menopause
• Race

Lifestyles are controllable risk factors that determine the onset of processes in the body that result in the formation of heart diseases. Below are 8 controllable risk factors related to lifestyle, that accounts for 90% of the total risk factors and they are in increasing order of risks:

8^th Alcohol

Depending on the type of alcohol, the higher the intake, the higher the risk of dying from heart attack. Red wine, on the other hand, because of the polyphenol content, may benefit the heart because it reduce the blood platelet aggregation and reduces coagulation and blockage of the artery.

7^th Lack Of Exercise

Regular physical activities reduce and control body weight, and slow down the development of diabetes as exercise helps to control insulin levels in the blood. Regular exercise also helps the body to function optimally. The easiest form is to walk 30 minutes every day.

6^th Inadequate Fruits And Vegetables

Eating fruits and vegetables everyday gives you many benefits; provide lots of vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants. These nutrients are important co-factors in many enzymatic processes for good functioning of the heart.

Fruits and vegetables reduce the bad nutrients such as fats and unhealthy macro-nutrients. They help to prevent plaque formation that blocks the artery.

5^th Obesity And Overweight

There is a strong correlation between behind overweight and developing heart diseases. Most heart attacks occur to people who are overweight and obese. Being overweight puts a big strain on the heart and makes the heart work harder to pump the nutrients and oxygen to the extra tissues in the overweight body.

4^th Hypertension

Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a major contributor to heart disease. When you have high blood pressure, the heart needs more energy and strength to pump blood effectively to all tissues. This weakens the heart and the arterial wall, making it easier to rupture leading to stroke or heart attack.

3^rd Smoking

Cigarette smoke contains many toxic chemicals in the blood that can activate the blood platelets to form plaque that will clog blood and damage vessel walls.

2^nd Diabetes

It is well established that diabetes is a major risk factor for heart disease. It increases the risk by 2-4 fold. Heart failure is the leading cause of death for diabetics. High blood sugar causes high levels of inflammation in the blood, which can increase damage of the blood vessel wall and form plaque.

1^st High Cholesterol And Blood Fats

20% of the cholesterol is obtained from the food we eat and 80% of the body’s cholesterol is produced by the liver, in the form of bile. Bile is necessary for the digestion of fats, and it is subsequently re-absorbed back into the body.

Other than cholesterol, triglyceride is also a type of blood fat that contributes to the formation of plaque in the artery that leads to heart disease.

Knowing all these risk factors is the first step towards prevention of heart disease. While we cannot do anything with the uncontrollable factors, we can manage our lifestyles to minimize the controllable risk factors. So get into action NOW to reduce your risk of heart disease.

_{This post was first published on Look Good Feel Great Always blog and has been reposted on Executive Lifestyle with the permission of the author.}

Did you enjoy this post? Please comment, like and share!