Most people know that they should exercise regularly, lead a healthy lifestyle, watch their weight and generally be cautious with their health. But very few people are aware of what some of the major risk factors for cardiac disorders are. These include being overweight or obese, long-term cardiac illness, high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, elevated homocysteine levels and negative symptoms such as anxiety or depression. Being aware of these risk factors can greatly decrease the chances of suffering from one of these conditions and improve your quality of life.
According to the American Heart Association, heart attack is the second most common reason people seek medical treatment. One of the primary risk factors for a heart attack is irregular heartbeat. If you feel you have experienced an irregular heartbeat, it is important to see your doctor and get checked for any potential problems so you can prevent a more serious problem from occurring.
Another one of the causes of cardiac disease is high blood pressure, also known as hypertension. If you suffer from either of these conditions, it is important to seek immediate medical attention. Although these two conditions are not necessarily the same and not considered “the same” they do share many of the same causes. High blood pressure can be caused by a variety of factors including genetics, stress, cardiac problems, age, smoking and more and if you have both high blood pressure and cardiac problems, it is highly likely you will also suffer from short term congestive heart failure.
A third condition is cardiac stress. Stress affects millions of Americans and the two risk factors, high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol, are the top factors associated with stress. Stress can be caused by anything from financial worries to relationship issues and everything in between. The symptoms of stress vary from person to person depending on their tolerance level for it and the severity of the disorder. Some of the more common symptoms include fatigue, anxiety, hair loss, weight gain or loss, irritability and depression. If you experience one or more of these symptoms, it is highly recommended that you go to seek treatment immediately.
Cardiac failure and cardiac stress both affect your quality of life and cost lives each and every year. If you are at risk for either of these diseases, it is important that you find out what the risk factors are and take steps to lower them. This may include a daily exercise routine and avoiding certain foods. While it may not cure the problem, it will definitely improve your chances of staying healthy and cardiac failure or heart attack. If you are already at risk, then it is even more important to do everything you can to lower your risk factor.
If you have not suffered a heart attack or heart failure, but you are concerned about cholesterol levels, then it is time you made an appointment with your doctor and ask what you can do to lower your cholesterol. Cholesterol affects both your liver and brain and high levels in your bloodstream are very likely to lead to heart disease. While it is impossible to avoid cholesterol, you may begin to notice an improved heart health as soon as you begin to lower it. Your physician can check your medical history and discuss ways to make your heart healthier by checking your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood count.
