Coronary Artery Disease Risk Factors
- adam palisoc
- Aug 30, 2016
- 3 min read
Heart disease, synonymous with coronary artery disease (CAD), is the leading cause of death in America, affecting at least 600,000 people annually. Of these deaths, more than half consist of males. At some point in our lives, we will need to acknowledge that we are at risk of developing some form of CAD. Some of us may ignore that fact while others choose to actively prevent it. Supporting research suggests that increased risky behaviors adds to the potential for developing CAD.
After five years of working in the medical field as both an Army Medic and phlebotomist, I have witnessed the consequences of CAD. Patients were either; prescribed medications, in need of corrective surgery, in need of doctor appointments and diagnostic testing, experiencing a reduced quality of life, and/or in worse cases…death. For hospitalized individuals, increased monitoring and diagnostic testing greatly hindered the ability to gain adequate rest. Thus, potentially causing addition stress and/or a longer hospital stay. In either case, finances would become a major burden as healthcare costs continued to increase. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather spend/save a bit more money on preventative costs than risk going into debt due to expensive medical care regardless of insurance, government aid, or other forms of financial aid.
So how does one decrease the risk of developing CAD? In a nutshell, live a healthy lifestyle. This involves being aware of your current risk state. There are seven positive risk factors that everyone should be aware of. They are; age, family history, smoking history, sedentary lifestyle, obesity, hypertensions, dyslipidemia, and pre-diabetes. The following information briefly details these risk factors.
Positive Risk Factors
Age: Men > 45 years; Women > 55 years
Family History: Heart Attack; coronary revascularization; or sudden death before 55 years
of age in biological father or other first-degree male relative; or before 65
years of age in biological mother or other first degree female relative
Cigarette Smoking: Current smoker or someone who quit within the previous 6 months; or
exposure to environmental tobacco smoke
Sedentary lifestyle: Not participating in at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical
activity on at least three days per week for at least three months
Obesity: BMI > 30; or waist girth of > 40 inches in men or > 35 inches in women
Hypertension: Systolic blood pressure > 140 mmHg and/or diastolic pressure > 90.
mmHg(confirmed by at least two other separate measurements); or on.
blood pressure medication
Dyslipidemia: Low Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol >130 mg/dl; High Density lipoprotein
cholesterol < 40 mg/dl; or on lipid lowering medication;
or if total cholesterol is > 200mg/dl
Pre-diabetes: Fasting glucose levels are between 99 and 126 mg/dl; glucose tolerance
tests are between 139 and 200 mg/dl confirmed by two separate occasions.
It is important to note that age, family history, race, and genetics are just a few factors that we cannot control. Therefore, those factors pre-dispose us to developing CAD. Abstaining from smoking, sedentary living, and unhealthy dieting can decrease the likelihood of becoming obese and/or developing; hypertension, diabetes, atherosclerosis, etc... After all, once one person is diagnosed with either of the aforementioned conditions, it is likely that the following conditions will follow and lead to CAD should unhealthy lifestyle choices continue to be a trend. This is a cycle that I hope you do not allow yourself to enter.
Don’t be caught off guard with an unexpected health emergency. Take preventative and proactive steps towards your health! If you have not exercised in a long time and are looking to start an exercise program, it is ideal to assess your risk for CAD. If you meet two or more of the above criteria, then this ought to be a cause for some concern. Prior to beginning an exercise program, I highly recommend that you schedule an appointment with a healthcare provider.
References
Coburn, Jared W and Moh H Malek. NSCA's Essentials of Personal Training Second Edition. National Strength and Conditioning Association, 2012. Table 9.1. Kindle Edition.
National Center for Health Statistics : Death and Morality. 20 June 2016. Web Site. 20 August 2016. <http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/deaths.htm>.
Nichols, Hannah. The Top 10 Leading Causes of Death Today. 21 September 2015. Website. 23 August 2016. <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/282929.php>.
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