Coronary heart disease remains largely preventable. Studies demonstrate that following a heart-healthy lifestyle throughout your life — refraining from smoking, eating properly, and being physically active — can help avoid coronary heart disease and its complications.
Coronary heart disease results from various causes, including plaque buildup and issues impacting heart blood vessels. Risk factors play a significant role; the more and more intense these factors are, the higher the likelihood of developing the disease. While some factors like high blood pressure and cholesterol can be managed through heart-healthy practices, factors like age, gender, family history, and race or ethnicity are beyond our control.
As age progresses, lifestyle or genetic factors contribute to arterial plaque accumulation, while changes in small heart blood vessels raise the risk of coronary microvascular disease. Environmental factors such as air pollution, occupational risks like exposure to toxins or long work hours, and family history of early heart disease also significantly lead to increased risks.
Lifestyle behaviors like stress, smoking, inactivity and poor dietary choices result in plaque buildup over time, increasing the risk of coronary heart disease. Furthermore, there are ethnic or racial differences, with heart disease being the primary cause of death among many racial and ethnic groups in the United States.
Your chance of developing coronary heart disease may also be increased by other medical issues that affect your heart and blood arteries, such as:
Maintaining a heart-healthy lifestyle is important, particularly for individuals with additional risk factors for heart disease. Collaborate with your healthcare provider to create a personalized plan according to your lifestyle. This may involve enhancing your dietary habits, engaging in regular physical activity, and effectively managing other health conditions.