10 Heart Attack Risk Factors part 2

Smoking

If you haven’t found a reason to quit smoking yet, read this: Your heart disease risk is two to four times higher if you smoke cigarettes.

Smoking "is truly one of the worst, if not the worst, risk factor because it impacts so many things," says Dr. Milani. It injures the arteries, contributes to cholesterol problems, and raises the risk of blood clots. "It's the ultimate devil," he adds.

High cholesterol

Roughly 34 million Americans today have cholesterol levels that could lead to heart problems; as fit and healthy as some might appear, if their total cholesterol is rising, so is their risk of heart disease.

Think you know what it takes to keep your cholesterol in check? Take our quiz to find out.

High blood pressure

About one in three adults in America has high blood pressure, which makes the heart work harder to pump blood. Hypertension increases your risk of stroke, heart attack, kidney failure, and heart failure.

High blood pressure can be controlled with medication. Things like losing weight, becoming more active, easting less salt, and drinking less alcohol, can all help to a lower blood pressure.

Sedentary lifestyle

Thinking about skipping the gym again? Keep in mind that living an inactive life is a major heart disease risk factor.

About 30 minutes of moderate exercise on most days of the week could greatly reduce your risk, but any activity is better than none.

Here’s how safe, moderate exercise can keep your heart healthy and potentially save your life.

Excess weight

People who have excess body fat—especially around the midsection—are more likely to develop heart disease or have a stroke even if they have no other risk factors.

The good news is that there are many simple foods that are good for your heart and your waistline.

Dr. Milani recommends eating a "Mediterranean diet, which has been proven to highly reduce the recurrence of heart attacks." That means eating plenty of fish, fruit, vegetables and healthy fats, like olive oil.

Diabetes

If you have type 2 diabetes your risk of heart disease goes up—a lot—although controlling blood sugar will help.

"Diabetic women are at the highest risk of getting into trouble with heart disease compared to all other groups," says Dr. Milani. "Diabetes narrows the arteries, and women—by virtue of their size difference—already have smaller arteries than their male counterparts, in general."

Luckily the same steps that help diabetes—exercise and healthy eating—can also lower heart risk.
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