BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuHeart disease - risk factorsHeart disease - prevention; CVD - risk factors; Cardiovascular disease - risk factors; Coronary artery disease - risk factors; CAD - risk factorsCoronary heart disease (CHD) is a narrowing of the blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the heart. CHD is also called coronary artery disease. Risk factors are things that increase your chance of getting a disease or condition. This article discusses the risk factors for CHD and things you can do to lessen your risk.What is a Risk Factor?A risk factor is something about you that increases your chance of getting a disease or having a certain health condition. Some risk factors for CHD you cannot change, but some you can. Changing the risk factors that you have control over may help you live a longer, healthier life.Risk Factors you Cannot ChangeSome of your CHD risk factors that you CANNOT change are:Your age. The risk for CHD increases with age. Your sex. Men have a higher risk of getting CHD than women who are still menstruating. After menopause, the risk for women gets closer to the risk for men. Your genes or race. If your parents had CHD, you are at higher risk. African Americans, Mexican Americans, American Indians, Hawaiians, and some Asian Americans also have a higher risk for heart problems.Risk Factors you can ChangeSome of the risk factors for CHD that you CAN change are:Not smoking. If you do smoke, quit. Controlling your cholesterol through diet, exercise, and medicines, if needed. MedicinesYour body needs cholesterol to work properly. But extra cholesterol in your blood causes deposits to build up on the inside walls of your blood vess...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Controlling high blood pressure through diet, exercise, and medicines, if needed. Controlling high blood pressureHypertension is another term used to describe high blood pressure. High blood pressure can lead to: StrokeHeart attackHeart failureKidney diseaseEar...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Controlling diabetes through diet, exercise, and medicines, if needed. Exercising at least 30 minutes a day. Keeping to a healthy weight by eating healthy foods, eating less, and joining a weight loss program, if you need to lose weight. Learning healthy ways to cope with stress through special classes or programs, or things like meditation or yoga. Limiting how much alcohol you drink to 1 drink a day for women and 2 a day for men. Good nutrition is important to your heart health and will help control some of your risk factors.Choose a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Choose lean proteins, such as chicken, fish, beans and legumes. Choose low-fat dairy products, such as 1% milk and other low-fat items. Avoid sodium (salt) and fats found in fried foods, processed foods, and baked goods. Eat fewer animal products that contain cheese, cream, or eggs. Read labels, and stay away from "saturated fat" and anything that contains "partially-hydrogenated" or "hydrogenated" fats. These products are usually loaded with unhealthy fats. Follow these guidelines and the advice of your health care provider to lower your chances of developing CHD.Open ReferencesReferencesArnett DK, Blumenthal RS, Albert MA. 2019 ACC/AHA guideline on the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on clinical practice guidelines. Circulation. 2020;141(16):e774. PMID: 30879355 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30879355/.Eckel RH, Jakicic JM, Ard JD, et al. 2013 AHA/ACC Guidelines on lifestyle management to reduce cardiovascular risk: A report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2014;63(25 Pt B):2960-2984. PMID: 24239922 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24239922/.Genest J, Mora S, Libby P. Lipoprotein disorders and cardiovascular disease. In: Libby P, Bonow RO, Mann DL, Tomaselli GF, Bhatt DL, Solomon SD, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 27.Mora S, Libby P, Ridker PM. Primary prevention of coronary heart disease. In: Libby P, Bonow RO, Mann DL, Tomaselli GF, Bhatt DL, Solomon SD, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 25.AllVideoImagesTogHeart disease modifiable risk factors - smokingAnimation Related video goes here for no-HTML5 browsersHeart disease modifiable risk factors - smoking - Animation A smoker’s risk of developing coronary heart disease is 2 to 3 times that of nonsmoker’s. Cigarette smoking is a powerful risk factor for coronary heart disease. Cigarette smoking, including second hand smoke, also acts with other risk factors to greatly increase the risk for coronary heart disease. Cigarette smoking has been identified by the United States Surgeon General as being the most preventable cause of premature death. The risk of coronary heart disease decreases dramatically with smoking cessation.Heart disease modifiable risk factors - smokingAnimation Related video goes here for no-HTML5 browsersHeart disease modifiable risk factors - smoking - Animation A smoker’s risk of developing coronary heart disease is 2 to 3 times that of nonsmoker’s. Cigarette smoking is a powerful risk factor for coronary heart disease. Cigarette smoking, including second hand smoke, also acts with other risk factors to greatly increase the risk for coronary heart disease. Cigarette smoking has been identified by the United States Surgeon General as being the most preventable cause of premature death. The risk of coronary heart disease decreases dramatically with smoking cessation.A Closer Look Myocardial infarction(Alt. Medicine)Heart failure - InDepth(In-Depth)Coronary artery disease - InDepth(In-Depth)Heart attack and acute coronary syndrome - InDepth(In-Depth)Heart failure(Alt. Medicine)Atherosclerosis(Alt. Medicine)Diabetes - type 2 - InDepth(In-Depth)Cholesterol - InDepth(In-Depth)Stroke - InDepth(In-Depth)Exercise - InDepth(In-Depth)Self Care Heart disease - risk factorsDiabetes - preventing heart attack and strokeAspirin and heart diseaseLiving with heart disease and anginaCholesterol and lifestyleCholesterol testing and resultsStroke risk factorsHeart disease and depressionCholesterol - drug treatmentHealth risks of obesity Tests for Heart disease - risk factors Exercise stress testBlood pressure measurementAldosterone blood testCardiac event monitorsBlood sugar testCreatine phosphokinase testGlomerular filtration rateD-dimer testRelated Information Heart bypass surgery(Surgery)Angioplasty and stent placement - carotid artery(Surgery)Heart bypass surgery - minimally invasive(Surgery)Cardiac ablation procedures (Surgery)Heart pacemaker(Surgery)Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator(Surgery)Heart failure(Condition)High blood cholesterol levels(Condition)High blood pressure in adults – hypertension(Condition)Angina(Condition)Angina - discharge(Discharge)Heart attack – discharge(Discharge)Aspirin and heart disease(Self-Care)Being active when you have heart disease(Self-Care)Cholesterol and lifestyle(Self-Care)Controlling your high blood pressure(Self-Care)How to read food labels(Self-Care)Mediterranean diet(Self-Care)Managing your blood sugar(Self-Care)Butter, margarine, and cooking oils(Self-Care)Coronary artery disease - InDepth(In-Depth)High blood pressure - InDepth(In-Depth)Cholesterol - InDepth(In-Depth) Review Date: 8/23/2022 Reviewed By: Thomas S. Metkus, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. 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Heart disease - risk factorsHeart disease - prevention; CVD - risk factors; Cardiovascular disease - risk factors; Coronary artery disease - risk factors; CAD - risk factorsCoronary heart disease (CHD) is a narrowing of the blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the heart. CHD is also called coronary artery disease. Risk factors are things that increase your chance of getting a disease or condition. This article discusses the risk factors for CHD and things you can do to lessen your risk.What is a Risk Factor?A risk factor is something about you that increases your chance of getting a disease or having a certain health condition. Some risk factors for CHD you cannot change, but some you can. Changing the risk factors that you have control over may help you live a longer, healthier life.Risk Factors you Cannot ChangeSome of your CHD risk factors that you CANNOT change are:Your age. The risk for CHD increases with age. Your sex. Men have a higher risk of getting CHD than women who are still menstruating. After menopause, the risk for women gets closer to the risk for men. Your genes or race. If your parents had CHD, you are at higher risk. African Americans, Mexican Americans, American Indians, Hawaiians, and some Asian Americans also have a higher risk for heart problems.Risk Factors you can ChangeSome of the risk factors for CHD that you CAN change are:Not smoking. If you do smoke, quit. Controlling your cholesterol through diet, exercise, and medicines, if needed. MedicinesYour body needs cholesterol to work properly. But extra cholesterol in your blood causes deposits to build up on the inside walls of your blood vess...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Controlling high blood pressure through diet, exercise, and medicines, if needed. Controlling high blood pressureHypertension is another term used to describe high blood pressure. High blood pressure can lead to: StrokeHeart attackHeart failureKidney diseaseEar...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Controlling diabetes through diet, exercise, and medicines, if needed. Exercising at least 30 minutes a day. Keeping to a healthy weight by eating healthy foods, eating less, and joining a weight loss program, if you need to lose weight. Learning healthy ways to cope with stress through special classes or programs, or things like meditation or yoga. Limiting how much alcohol you drink to 1 drink a day for women and 2 a day for men. Good nutrition is important to your heart health and will help control some of your risk factors.Choose a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Choose lean proteins, such as chicken, fish, beans and legumes. Choose low-fat dairy products, such as 1% milk and other low-fat items. Avoid sodium (salt) and fats found in fried foods, processed foods, and baked goods. Eat fewer animal products that contain cheese, cream, or eggs. Read labels, and stay away from "saturated fat" and anything that contains "partially-hydrogenated" or "hydrogenated" fats. These products are usually loaded with unhealthy fats. Follow these guidelines and the advice of your health care provider to lower your chances of developing CHD.Open ReferencesReferencesArnett DK, Blumenthal RS, Albert MA. 2019 ACC/AHA guideline on the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on clinical practice guidelines. Circulation. 2020;141(16):e774. PMID: 30879355 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30879355/.Eckel RH, Jakicic JM, Ard JD, et al. 2013 AHA/ACC Guidelines on lifestyle management to reduce cardiovascular risk: A report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2014;63(25 Pt B):2960-2984. PMID: 24239922 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24239922/.Genest J, Mora S, Libby P. Lipoprotein disorders and cardiovascular disease. In: Libby P, Bonow RO, Mann DL, Tomaselli GF, Bhatt DL, Solomon SD, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 27.Mora S, Libby P, Ridker PM. Primary prevention of coronary heart disease. In: Libby P, Bonow RO, Mann DL, Tomaselli GF, Bhatt DL, Solomon SD, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 25.