If you're worried about your cardiac health, understanding the risk factors of Coronary Artery Disease, or CAD, is essential. Coronary artery disease risk factors include a lack of exercise, smoking, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and a family history of heart disease. Moreover, risk factors include race, gender, and age. For preventive and early intervention, understanding of these risk factors is essential.
What are the Risk Factors of Coronary Artery Disease?
Following are some of the significant CAD disease risk factors -
Growing older raises the chance of coronary artery disease. Cholesterol can accumulate in the arteries as people age, making them less flexible and thinner. A critical component in the development of CAD is decreased vascular health with ageing. Men aged over 45 and women who are aged 55 years and above have a higher risk of developing CAD.
An individual's chance of developing coronary artery disease is significantly increased if there is a family history of the condition.
For coronary artery disease, smoking is a significant modifiable risk factor. The chemicals in tobacco cause damage to the lining of the arteries, leading to plaque build-up and narrowing of the arterial walls. Furthermore, smoking causes inflammation, raises blood pressure, and lowers blood oxygen levels - all of which worsen the symptoms of CAD.
Over time, high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, causes the arteries to become less flexible and more solid, which eventually causes the arteries to shrink. This increases the heart's difficulty pumping blood efficiently, which raises the risk of CAD.
Blood clots in the arteries caused by low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and high levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) raise the risk of coronary artery disease.
Coronary artery disease has diabetes as a significant risk factor. Elevated blood sugar levels can harm the heart's and blood vessels' controlling neurons and the blood vessels. Diabetes increases a person's likelihood of having CAD.
Obesity or being overweight
The risk of CAD is increased by excess weight. Lack of any physical activity also increases the chances of developing CAD.
Other Modifiable Risk Factors
Sleep disorders, metabolic syndrome, and mental health issues like stress and depression can lead to the development of CAD.
High Lipoprotein (A) levels and dense, small LDL-C particles are significant risk factors for developing CAD.
High-sensitivity C-reactive Protein
Among the risk factors of CAD, high levels of hsCRP (i.e., high-sensitivity C-reactive protein) are significant. High hsCRP can lead to inflammation; this, in turn, can cause CAD and heart attack.
Certain Medical Conditions
Some medical conditions can cause CAD, like ESRD (i.e., End-stage Renal Disease), familial hypercholesterolemia, HAART (i.e., highly active antiretroviral therapy), chronic inflammatory diseases (such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus), and HIV and AIDS.
Conclusion
Heart health depends on understanding and controlling coronary artery disease risk factors. Regular tests and a lifestyle change are essential. Having adequate health insurance policy ensures timely access to critical tests and treatments, reducing the disease's impact on heart health and overall well-being.