Are you at a risk for Cardiovascular Disease?

10 Risk factors for Cardiovascular Disease 

The American College of cardiology has classified the risk factors into many categories based on the researches done.

1) Cigarette Smoking :

• Smoking is synergistic with other risk factors and directly influences acute coronary events including thrombus formation & plaque instability.  
• Risk also increases with increase in number of smokes per day.
• Nicotine and by-products of smoking are involved in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis(Plaque Formation).
• Smoking reduces HDL (good cholesterol) and increases VLDL cholesterol(Bad cholesterol) and glucosse levels.
• Quitting smoking can reduce the CVD risk by 50%

2) LDL Cholesterol :

• A decrease of 1 mg/dl of LDL-C results in 1-2% decrease in the relative risk or CVD.
• Following factors increase LDL-C :

1. Aging
2. Genetics
3. Diet
4. Diabetes
5. Some anti-Hypertensive drugs
6. Obesity
7. Reduced estrogen levels

• Diets high in saturated fat and cholesterol elevate LDL-C.

Levels of LDL-C as per ATP-3 Classification :

1. <  100 mg/dl : Optimal Level
2. 100-129 mg/dl - Near Optimal
3. 130-159 mg/dl - Borderline high
4. 160-189 mg/dl - High
5. >190 mg/dl - Very High

3) Hypertension :

• About 50% of the first Myocardial infarction patients & 66% of the stroke patients have blood pressure higher than 160/90 mm Hg.
• Hypertension is normally present with other risk factors.

4) Diabetes.

5) Physical Inactivity :

• 30 min of moderate activity of moderate intensity is recommended.

5) HDL-Cholesterol :

•  An increase in HDl-C has a direct correlation with a decreased CVD risk.
• A low HDL-C  (<40 mg/dl) iis considered to be  risk factor.

6) Obesity :

• Android type(Apple shaped body type) of obesity is more prone to increase the risk to CVD as compared to the gynoid (Pear shaped body type) type.

7) Trans-Fat :

• They are produced in the hydrogenation process.
• Widely used in the food industry to manufacture hydrogenated fats and soft margarine.
• 50% of the trans-fatty acid intake comes from animal foods e.g. beef. butter, milk fats.
• Remaining 50% comes from hydrogenated oil.
• Other major sources are margarine. commercial frying fat, high fat baking goods, shortening.

8) Carbohydrate(CHO) intake :

• Restriction of sugar may lower the serum triglyceride levels.
• A vegetarian diet which in high in complex CHO is emphasized : make use of legumes, unrefined cereals, fruits & vegetables.
• These have a hypo-cholesterlemic effect. 

 9) Age :

• Incidence of pre- mature disease in men, 35-44 years of age is 3 times as high as the incidence in women of the same age.
• Thus, men above 45 years and women after 55 years are at an increased risk for CVD.

10) Family History :

• A family history of pre-mature disease is a strong risk factor even when other factors are considered.
• Numerous hyperlipidemias are inherited and lead to pemature CVD.
• If none of the parents have CVD, the % of the child getting CVD is 8%
• If 1 parent has CVD, the % of the child getting CVD is 16%
• If both have CVD, the % of the child getting CVD is 32%

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