| Your risk for high cholesterol and heart disease | | | | in the same conditions before the age of 65. |
| may be increased if you have a high fat diet, you | | | | Increasing age - Being female greater than 55 |
| lack physical activity, and also have a family | | | | years old or being male greater than 45 years old. |
| history of high cholesterol or heart disease. If you | | | | Additional risk factors |
| do have high cholesterol there are some additional | | | | Diabetes - If you have diabetes the monitoring |
| risk factors for developing heart disease. These | | | | and controlling of any other risk factors is critically |
| include the following: | | | | important for you since two-thirds of people with |
| Low HDL cholesterol - In order to help lower the | | | | diabetes die of some form of heart or blood |
| risks for heart disease, high levels of HDL or | | | | vessel disease |
| "good" cholesterol are recommended. It is | | | | Obesity or being overweight - Even if they have |
| important that you keep your HDL cholesterol | | | | no other risk factors, people who have excess |
| levels higher than 60 milligrams per deciliter. | | | | body fat are more likely to develop heart disease |
| Smoking cigarettes - It is a known fact that | | | | and stroke. Because it increases the strain on the |
| nonsmokers have twice as much changes of not | | | | heart, obesity is highly unhealthy. |
| suffering a heart attack than smokers. The | | | | High homocysteine levels - Homocysteine is an |
| biggest risk factor for sudden cardiac death is | | | | amino acid in the blood. An association between |
| cigarette smoking. Smokers have two to four | | | | an increased risk for heart disease and high blood |
| times the risk of nonsmokers. | | | | levels of homocysteine has been found through |
| High blood pressure - The heat enlarges and | | | | recent studies. The dietary intake of folic acid and |
| weakness over time thanks to high blood | | | | B vitamins influences the homocysteine levels. You |
| pressure because this increases the heart's | | | | can lower your homocysteine levels by insuring |
| workload. | | | | adequate intake of these vitamins. You should |
| Heredity - A family history of heart disease at a | | | | check with your doctor whether you should or |
| young age could indicate a risk factor. For | | | | you should not get your homocysteine levels |
| example, having a father or brother who had a | | | | tested. Do not worry, homocysteine testing is |
| heart attack and died of heart disease before the | | | | done easy through a simple blood test. |
| age of 55 or having a mother or sister who died | | | | |