Cardiovascular Risk Factors
Cardiovascular diseases have become highly common in most of the people due to the lifestyle changes in the current era. People in this generation are more prone to cardiovascular diseases because of their improper habits, obesity, lack of exercises and more.
There are several reasons for the cause of cardiovascular diseases. Some of the heart-related diseases eventually lead to cardiovascular risk factors. Get to know more about the risk factors in heart diseases, coronary arteries and other cardiovascular diseases through this blog.
Here is an excerpt from a video interview with Dr. Shashanka Chunduri, Senior Consultant Interventional Cardiologist, Omni Hospitals, Vizag on Cardiovascular risk factors, types of risk factors, its causes, heart disease complications and the ways to prevent different types of cardiovascular diseases.
Q. What are cardiovascular diseases?
A. Cardiovascular diseases are conditions that usually affect the heart function and the structures of the heart. Cardiovascular diseases are classified into four major groups.
1. Heart Attacks
These are the diseases that affect the heart. A heart attack is also known as myocardial infarction.
2. Brain Strokes
A brain stroke another group that comes under cardiovascular diseases. Due to the interruption or reduction of blood flow to the brain, people usually get a brain stroke.
3. Peripheral Artery Diseases
In this group of cardiovascular disease, lower limbs of the patient are involved. Some of them feel extreme pain in the limbs while walking. Some others may develop ulcers that require interventions. As a result of serious ulcers, some of the patients may require amputations. Amputation is a surgical procedure that involves the removal of a limb.
4. Aortic Diseases
People might get aortic diseases having the involvement of aorta. Aorta is the largest artery in the human body that comes from the heart and supplies the entire body.
Aortic Aneurysm: It is one of the major aortic diseases. The enlargement of the aorta is known as an aneurysm.
Aortic Dissection: It is another aortic disease. Aortic Dissection is a serious condition whenever ruptures take place in the wall of the major artery carrying blood outside the heart.
These are the four major groups in cardiovascular diseases.
Q. What are the main risk factors for cardiovascular diseases?
A. The risk factors for cardiovascular diseases are classified as modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors. Non-modifiable risk factors are the factors that are not in our control mostly related to biological and environmental. On the other hand, modifiable risk factors can be handled by changing certain things in our lifestyle. By making slight changes in the lifestyle of a person, it is possible to prevent and modulate the modifiable risk factors.
Q. What are the Non-modifiable risk factors?
A. The non-modifiable risk factors are uncontrollable. Some of the major non-modifiable risk factors include:
Age: Age is the major non-modifiable risk factor. As people grow older, there are higher chances of developing cardiovascular diseases. As the age increases, the vascular system undergoes specific changes like increased calcium deposits in the blood vessels, damage to the small vascular system and more. By the time people reach the age of 70 to 80 years, the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases is more common.
Gender: In terms of gender, male people are highly prone to cardiovascular diseases. Some of the causes include lifestyle, genetic Y chromosome affects. In females, they have a female hormone namely Estrogen that protects them against the cause of heart diseases. It increases HDL and lowers cardiovascular risk. This hormone in females helps them in getting these diseases until their menopause stage. So, males have high chances to get cardiovascular diseases compared to females.
Family History: If anyone in the family of a patient [like the mother, sister, father or grandfather, brother] had a heart attack before the age of 55 years then, there is a risk of getting cardiovascular disease is high. It is also an uncontrollable risk factor that is not in the hands of people.
Ethnicity: In comparison with European countries, people in South countries are highly prone to cardiovascular risks. Indians and Africans have higher chances of getting such diseases.
Socio-economic status: It is another major risk factor. The low socio-economic people have more tendencies to cardiovascular risks because of their lifestyle, lack of awareness and more.
Q. Is high salt bad for the heart?
A. Yes. The increased usage of salt is definitely a risk to the cardiovascular system. It enhances the blood pressure and salt has fluid retention. People must restrict the usage of salt to 3 grams in their day to day basis. As a result, we can reduce the chances of getting high blood pressure.
Pickles, fast food items, papads and other things have added salt. Mostly, people across the world use more salt in their daily food. It is advisable to minimize the usage of salt and added salt to our routine foods. This way, one can reduce cardiovascular risks.
Q. What are the modifiable risk factors?
A. Modifiable risk factors are controllable risk factors. Some of them include:
Smoking: People who smoke frequently are highly prone to heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular diseases. Nicotine, carbon monoxide, harmful tobacco products, carbon dioxide and more are present in the smoking products. Due to the usage of nicotine, it constrains the blood vessels eventually causing blood flow interruptions. There are increased chances of thrombus formation in the blood clots and blood vessels. If an individual stops smoking, it reduces the risks of cardiovascular diseases for about 30 to 36 percent.
Hypertension: It is also directly associated with various cardiovascular risks. Due to increased blood pressure, some of them may get brain strokes, heart attacks and renal failure. The ideal blood pressure in an individual is 120/80 or below 130.
Diabetes: It increases the chance of strokes. One must maintain normal blood sugar levels to prevent cardiovascular risk.
High Cholesterol: The higher deposits of cholesterol in blood vessels lead to heart blocks, heart attacks and more.
Obesity and Lack of Exercise: These two factors are highly prone to the cause of cardiovascular diseases.
Unhealthy Diet: Increased consumption of saturated foods [from animal sources] is more prone to cardiovascular risks like heart attacks and strokes.
Q. At what age one should worry about cholesterol? What is the Cholesterol level that requires medication?
A. Cholesterol is another major concern in several folks across the world. In fact, cholesterol gets deposited in the body. According to the US recommendations, one must get to know his/her lipid profile at the age of 20. Further, they can get cholesterol level check-up every 5 or 6 years. People who reach 40 years of age, they must assess the lipid profile as well as the cardiovascular risk score assessment.
One must maintain their cholesterol levels based on these assessments. If you already have a heart attack or stroke then, you must maintain lower LDL i.e., less than 70 LDL. If you don’t have any such heart problems but have smoking habits, hypertension and above 40 years then, you must get your risk assessment. After checking the score, if the risk is more than 20 percent then, you must definitely maintain the LDL less than 70. If the risk is below 7.5 then, you can have 100 LDL.
Q. What are the common habits that damage the heart?
A. Some of the common habits that cause severe damage to the heart include smoking, drugs, and more. Due to these habits, people may get Vasoconstriction at a younger age.
- Lack of Exercise
- Obesity
- Consumption of fast foodstuff, junk food with high salts [High Trans fats]
- Usage of oil more than 2 times
Q. Can stress cause heart disease?
A. Any kind of stress at home or office may lead to sympathetic overactivity. It causes high blood pressure. As a result, it causes hormonal imbalance and also causes endothelial damage because of increased stress. All these are more prone to cardiac events. Some of the stress-relieving activities like doing meditation will definitely help in preventing heart attacks.
Q. What is good cholesterol and bad cholesterol?
A. Cholesterol is the major lipid in the body. As they are not water-soluble and cannot flow in the blood, they are attached to proteins and form lipoproteins. Good cholesterol and Bad Cholesterol are the two types of lipoproteins.
Cholesterol is actually required for the growth of body cells or membranes in the blood. It also helps in the production of sex hormones. Usually, excess cholesterol forms in the body coming through diet, the liver will deposit in the blood vessels. It forms blocks in the blood vessels.
Good Cholesterol is also known as HDL [High-Density Lipoprotein] that works like a scavenger. It has the ability to collect excess cholesterol from the cells or blood vessels and carries it to the liver. In the liver, good cholesterol is metabolized. HDL removes cholesterol from blood vessels and carries it to the liver.
On the other hand, LDL is Low-Density Lipoprotein or bad cholesterol. It carries cholesterol from the liver to tissues and other parts whenever required. If bad cholesterol is in excess quantity, it gets deposited in the blood vessels and leads to the formation of clots.
Q. Is it possible to get a heart attack with no risk factors?
A. Yes, it is possible. Almost 70 percent of people may get a heart attack with some risk factors. The remaining 30 percent of them may get a heart attack without showing any sort of risk factors. Some of the genetic studies are being done to find out the actual cause of heart attack.
Q. What Kind of Exercise Benefit the Heart? How much time?
A. Some of the exercises like aerobic exercise will benefit the heart by diminishing the endothelial dysfunction. An individual must do 30 minutes a day or 150 minutes per week may benefit the heart. Some of the aerobic exercises include running, jogging, swimming, treadmill and more.
Q. Explain the primary and secondary heart disease preventions?
A. Primary prevention is taking necessary steps to prevent the occurrence of heart diseases like stroke or heart attack. In such a case, the person must take risk factor assessment and prevent it before the occurrence of cardiovascular disease.
On the other hand, secondary prevention is nothing but preventing the heart attack for the second time. It means, the person might have an attack earlier and should try to prevent the cardiovascular disease that may cause for the second time.
Q. What is the Ideal Blood Pressure? What are the Signs of heart strokes?
A. The ideal blood pressure in an individual is less than 120/80. Above 120 to 139 is considered normal high blood pressure. If the blood pressure is above 130/80, it is considered stage 1 hypertension.
Q. Are changing oils periodically good for the heart?
A. There are different types of fats such as saturated, unsaturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. One must avoid the usage of saturated fats and Trans fats. Saturated fats are produced from animal sources such as ghee, curd and more. People should minimize the usage of saturated fats to at least 10 percent in the total calories.
On the other hand, Unsaturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are beneficial to the heart. They are available in the form of vegetables, nuts, fish and more. By changing oils periodically or monthly basis, it will be definitely beneficial to the heart. It can be olive oil, rice bran oil, sunflower oil and others.
Q. Is refined oil good for health?
A. There is no significant harm to the usage of refined oil. But, the case is one shouldn’t reuse the oil for the second time. Reusing the oil more than 2 or 3 times will be harmful to the heart.
Q. Is it important to know your BMI?
A. Obesity is a risk factor in cardiovascular diseases. BMI is Body Mass Index. One should balance their height and weight by checking the BMI. If an individual’s weight is more than 25 kgs is considered overweight and above 30 kgs is obese. Ideal waist circumference in men is 90 cm while it is 80 cm in women.
Q. Is cardiovascular disease preventable?
A. Yes, it is possible to prevent cardiovascular disease by up to 75 percent by following certain steps.
- By avoiding smoking
- Eating a healthy diet
- Being physically active
- Normal blood pressure
- Normal Blood Glucose Level
- Having normal cholesterol and BMI
Q. What is the role of Aspirin in the prevention of Heart Disease?
A. Aspirin plays a key role in the prevention of secondary cardiovascular diseases. But, one should use it only after when the doctor prescribes it. In terms of primary prevention, the usage of Aspirin is not recommended. If the person’s age is above 50 years and having a risk of about 10 percent then, the doctors may advise them to take 75mg of Aspirin. Before taking this medicine, the patient must assess their risks like bleeding.
Q. How common are heart complications from non-cardiac surgery?
A. The risk is less than 5 percent in non-cardiac surgery patients. The heart complications may be high in peripheral vascular surgeries, aortic surgeries, cancer surgeries and major abdominal bisections. In some patients, they may get pulmonary thromboembolism.
Senior Consultant Interventional Cardiologist