Four signs heart disease may be in your future

It’s often thought that heart disease strikes without warning. A new study is challenging that notion. 

A Journal of the American College of Cardiology study analyzed a decade’s worth of health records for more than 9 million adults in South Korea and nearly 7,000 people in the U.S. They were specifically looking to see how many people with heart disease had one or more of the traditional risk factors — high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol or tobacco use. 

The results showed that across the participants, 99% of people who developed heart disease, heart failure or strokes had at least one of the traditional risk factors and over 93% had two or more risk factors. 

“We know heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide,” says Dr. Timothy Pow, an interventional cardiologist at Aurora Health Care. “But having concrete data that these uncontrolled risk factors are the cause of so much heart disease should prompt us to be more vigilant about better managing these conditions rather than focusing on factors that are out of our hands.” 

Four risk factors commonly associated with higher rates of heart disease: 

1. High blood pressure: High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is one of the more common risk factors for heart disease. It also was the most common reason for a patient’s heart disease, according to the study. It is often called the “silent killer” because it has no symptoms.  
2. High blood sugar: High blood sugar puts you at risk for diabetes, which increases your risk for heart disease. Work with your health care provider to help manage your blood sugar levels.  
3. High cholesterol: High levels of cholesterol cause plaque buildup in the artery walls, causing stress on the heart. There are usually no signs or symptoms, but it can be identified through a blood test. 
4. Smoking: Tobacco use increases your risk of heart attack and heart disease because cigarette smoke can damage the heart and blood vessels. Secondhand smoke exposure can also increase your risk, even if you’re a nonsmoker.  

There are some risk factors you can’t control like age or family history, but there are lifestyle changes you can make to help lower your cardiovascular risk, such as getting good sleep, exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight, eating healthy, limiting alcohol consumption and managing your stress. 

“There are a lot of things outside of our control when it comes to heart disease,” says Dr. Pow. “But with the help of our health care teams, we can all take steps toward a healthier lifestyle so that we have a lower chance of getting heart disease in the future.” 

Want to learn more about your risk for heart disease? Take a free online quiz.