Years of cumulative research has identified a list of “risk factors” for heart disease ie who is likely to have a Heart Attack.

This means a person is more likely to have a heart attack than persons who doen’t have them.  The more risk factors a person has, the greater the likelihood they will suffer premature death from coronary artery thrombosis (Heart Attack).  Over time, the list has grown. Our current knowledge base includes the following as risk factors for premature heart disease:

·        Smoking - the more you smoke and the longer you smoke for the higher the risk

·        Diabetes -greater with Type I Diabetes than Type II, very high when Type I Diabetes is combined with Smoking

·        High Cholesterol- greater with low HDL Cholesterol and high LDL Cholesterol

·        Genetic/Family History - Persons with a first degree relative with premature heart disease(under age 65yrs)

·        High Blood Pressure -  A persistent elevation of BP above 135/85

·        Metabolic Syndrome- A combination of insulin resistance with increased abdominal fat and elevated Triglycerides. High BP, low HDL  increased tendency to clot and increased inflammatory proteins in the blood are also likely to be present which multiplies the likely risk for Heart Disease<!--[endif]-->

·        Elevated Homocysteine- Elevation of an amino acid called homocysteine in the blood. This is an Independent risk factor

·        Elevated ESR or C-Reactive Protein – These 2 blood tests measure inflammation in the blood stream, which are the elevation of which is also known  to be associated with increased cardiovascular risk

·        Inactivity 

·        Poor Western Diet  - high in meat, fried foods and carbonated beverages, but low in whole grains, fresh fruit and vegetables

·  Obesity-Especially if a high abdominal to hip ratio is present