What are the cardiovascular risk factors?
Cardiovascular risk factors endanger both heart and brain health. Here are what they are and what you can act on. Cardiovascular risk factors pose a serious threat to the health of Italians. Each year, in fact, as many as 44 percent of deaths recorded in Italy have a cardiovascular cause at their root. More specifically, the leading cause of death in Italy is ischemic heart disease, responsible for 28 percent of all deaths. But it is not only the heart that is at risk: by compromising the health of the arteries, cardiovascular risk factors also endanger the brain.
Here, too, the situation should not be underestimated. Cerebrovascular events are in fact responsible for 13 percent of the deaths recorded in Italy, and thus rank third among the most frequent causes of death in the population of the Boot. But what are the factors that can increase cardiovascular risk?
Modifiable and non-modifiable cardiovascular risk factors
Unfortunately, cardiovascular risk factors are not always modifiable characteristics or behaviors. One, for example, is gender; men, in fact, run a higher risk of heart attacks than women, and not only that: they also tend to have them at a younger age. Being male cannot be modified, which is why it is included in the list of nonmodifiable cardiovascular risk factors, together:
- to age: most deaths from coronary artery disease involve individuals older than 65 years;
- to hereditary factors: having parents diagnosed with heart disease increases the likelihood of finding oneself struggling with a cardiovascular disorder, as does belonging to certain ethnic groups. Caucasians, for example, run a lower risk than African Americans, and Americans of Mexican, Native American, Native Hawaiian, and Asian descent are also predisposed to a higher risk of heart disease.
In addition in the case of women, menopause is also a risk factor. Other factors, however, are modifiable. This means that heart and artery problems are not inevitable and that acting on one's behaviors to reduce one's cardiovascular risk.
The main modifiable cardiovascular risk factors are:
- smoking, which increases the risk of heart problems even when it is secondhand smoke;
- High cholesterol, which can be influenced by dietary habits;
- high triglycerides, which along with high levels of "bad" cholesterol and low levels of "good" cholesterol is associated with atherosclerosis (the accumulation of fatty deposits in the artery wall that increases the risk of heart attack and stroke);
- high blood pressure;
- The lack of physical activity;
- overweight and obesity;
- diabetes.
Cardiovascular risk factors and lifestyle: how to act?
Avoiding smoking and ensuring regular physical activity are therefore two good habits that help reduce cardiovascular risk, but they may not be the only ones. In fact, it seems that other aspects of lifestyle can be acted upon to protect the heart and arteries, particularly stress and alcohol consumption-both of which should be limited. And diet can also be of great help. Imagining why is simple: proper nutrition helps keep blood fat levels in the normal range, avoid overweight and obesity, and combat high blood pressure and diabetes, but not only that.
Some specific nutrients, such as Omega-3s, have been associated with heart benefits, especially useful for those who have already dealt with a cardiac event. Both fatty fish (such as salmon, mackerel, and herring) and dietary supplements, particularly fish oil and cod liver oil, can be relied upon to increase Omega-3 consumption. Be careful, however: it is always good to choose high quality, certified products.
Sources: - Epicenter. Cardiovascular disease. https://goo.gl/zgxszY, 13/04/18 - American Heart Association. Understand your Risk to Prevent a Heart Attack. https://goo.gl/VD1sNi, 13/04/18 - Mori TA. Omega-3 fatty acids and cardiovascular disease: epidemiology and effects on cardiometabolic risk factors. Food Funct. 2014 Sep;5(9):2004-19. doi: 10.1039/c4fo00393d Image: Pixabay
