risk factors of coronary artery disease (item#429)
DESCRIPTION
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death among men and women in the United States. If more people knew about the risk factors and how to control them, maybe this wouldn't be the case. This tear sheet may help with that. It lists the risk factors that you can control and the ones you can't with emphasis on making healthy lifestyle changes. The low reading level and colorful art make this a great way to get everyone on their way to a healthier heart. Learn more at: http://p-h.com/product.php?productid=17620&cat=1&page=1TRANSCRIPT
Your coronary arteries are the blood vessels that carry blood, oxygen and other nutrients to your heart. To work as it should, your heart needs a steady supply of oxygen and these other nutrients.
When your arteries become clogged by cholesterol and fat deposits (called plaque) they narrow and do not allow enough blood through to your heart. This is called coronary artery disease or CAD*.
CAD is the leading cause of death in men and women in the US.
isk Factors of Coronary Artery Diseaseisk Factors of Coronary Artery Disease
Things that increase your chances of getting CAD are called risk factors. Some risk factors you can control. You may have no control over other risk factors, like:
Having a family history of early heart disease
– A father or brother with heart disease before age 55
– A mother or sister with heart disease before age 65
Being male
Age
– For men – 45 years or older
– For women – 55 years or older
The risk factors for CAD are not always the result of family history or aging, though.
* (sometimes called atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries)
Risk factors and control
About Coronary Artery Disease
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Pritchett & Hull Associates, Inc. Atlanta, GA 800-241-4925 Bringing Patients & Health Together
Risk factors like high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure and obesity often start in childhood. This may be due to lifestyle and environment.
But it’s not too late to make changes. Here’s what you can do:
make lifestyle changes –
follow a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet
do some aerobic exercise each day, (150 minutes a week—at least)
if you have diabetes, keep your blood sugar under control
if you have high blood pressure, keep it under control (less than 120/80)
These are risk factors you may have some control over:
Smoking or being around others who are smoking.
Having high blood cholesterol (total cholesterol over 200 mg dl, LDL “bad” cholesterol over 100 mg/dl and triglycerides over 150 mg/dl). This is the main cause of CAD.
Having low HDL (“good” cholesterol levels (40 mg/dl or below for men; 50 mg/dl or below for women).
Being overweight.
Not being physically active.
Having high blood pressure or hypertension (higher than 140/90).
Having unmanaged diabetes. (People with diabetes have 2 to 4 times more risk of heart disease.)
These may also help lead to CAD:
unmanaged stress
depression
drinking too much alcohol
high levels of homocysteine (an amino acid) in your blood
isk Factors of Coronary Artery Diseaseisk Factors of Coronary Artery Disease
• lose weight, if you need to
•don’t smoke
•control your stress, learn to relax
•stay positive
•limit your alcohol use (men, no more than 2 drinks a day, women, no more than 1 drink a day)
Factors you can control How to control what you can
Copyright © 2001–2015 Pritchett & Hull Associates, Inc. DO NOT DUPLICATE. ®
Pritchett & Hull Associates, Inc. Atlanta, GA 800-241-4925 Bringing Patients & Health Together