Heart Disease – Lifestyle Risk Factors

Making changes is always challenging. Start with something that is relatively easy and build on your successes.

❧ Unhealthy diet – The foods you eat affect your health. Small healthy changes in your daily routine can decrease your risk of heart disease and stroke.

❧ Not enough exercise – Being active helps your heart, brain, muscles, bones and mood. Exercise is one of the most important things you can do for your health. No matter what your state of health, there is something you can do to stay active.

❧ Unhealthy weight – If you are struggling with your weight, you are not alone. Over 60% of Canadian adults are either overweight or obese. Being overweight can lead to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and sleep apnea.

❧ Smoking (tobacco misuse) – Smoking triples the risk of dying from heart disease and stroke in middle-aged men and women. Quitting is one of the best things you can do to prevent heart disease and stroke.

❧ Too much alcohol – Heavy drinking and binge drinking are risk factors for high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. Alcohol may also cause problems by interacting with your medications.

❧ Birth control and HRT – Medications that contain estrogen – the female hormone – increase the risk of heart attack, stroke and mini-stroke (TIA). Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) (usually prescribed for the symptoms of menopause) and many birth control pills contain estrogen.  If you take birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy, discuss the benefits and risk with your healthcare professional

❧ Recreational drug use – Drugs such as amphetamines, cannabis (marijuana), cocaine, ecstasy (MDMA), heroin, opioids, LSD and PCP can increase your risk of having a stroke and developing heart disease. When a stroke occurs, it often happens within hours of drug use.

❧ Stress – Stress is a part of life for just about everyone.  Sometimes it is not easy to recognize stress because we are caught up in the flow of life.  Although stress happens first in the mind, it has strong effects on the body. People who have high levels of stress or prolonged stress have higher cholesterol or blood pressure. They may be more prone to narrowing of the arteries (atherosclerosis), a stroke risk factor.

 

https://www.heartandstroke.ca/heart-disease/risk-and-prevention/lifestyle-risk-factors