Coronary artery disease usually has a slow onset, often beginning during adolescence, but only becoming symptomatic much later in life, in middle age. Coronary artery disease risk factors include:
• Age. Getting older increases the risk of damaged and narrowed arteries. Men are at increased risk of developing coronary artery disease after the age of 45, while women are at increased risk from the age of 55.
• Gender. Men are generally at greater risk of coronary artery disease. For persons aged 40 years, the lifetime risk of developing coronary heart disease is 49 percent in men and 32 percent in women. After menopause, a woman’s risk of heart disease gradually becomes the same as a man’s
• Heredity. Genetic factors likely play some role in high blood pressure, heart disease, and other related conditions. It is likely that people with a family history of heart disease share common environments and other factors that may increase their risk. Risk of heart disease is increased if close family members—a parent brother or sister—developed heart disease before age 55 or, in the case of female relatives, before menopause.
• Ethnicity. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for people of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States, including African Americans, American Indians and Alaska Natives, and white people.
• Smoking. Smoking is bad for heart health. People who smoke have a significantly increased risk of heart disease. Breathing in secondhand smoke also increases the risk.
Living a healthy lifestyle that incorporates good nutrition, weight management and getting plenty of physical activity can play a big role in avoiding coronary artery disease.
What are the risk factors for coronary artery disease?
