Heart health is a major concern for aging Americans. It is the leading cause of 1 in 4 deaths in the U.S. As per the CDC reports, approximately 18.2 million adults age 20 and older have coronary artery disease, the most commonly prevalent heart disease in the U.S. An unhealthy lifestyle, poor diet, and many other factors, including certain medical conditions, contribute to the increasing cases of heart diseases. Therefore, it is crucial to take timely action to avoid/minimize your heart risk. However, first, you need to know your heart risk factors. Thus, it is best to regularly get cardiac testing and adopt a more heart-healthy lifestyle by consulting with the top cardiology specialists at the leading cardiac testing and treatment facility at MKR Medical PC.

The following are the top heart risk factors you need to look out for:

1) High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)

Hypertension or high blood pressure is a chronic illness that usually affects many people with age. It can strain your heart to work harder, causing damage to the heart arteries, putting your heart at a greater risk of stroke, heart attack, or heart failure. However, you can consult with a primary care physician to make a comprehensive health plan for diet, exercise, weight management, and medication to control your blood pressure levels.

2) Unhealthy cholesterol levels

Eating lots of processed foods containing trans fat can lead to uncontrolled cholesterol. If the cholesterol level is high, it can be significantly unhealthy for your heart. As per the CDC, approx. 28 million adults in the United States have high cholesterol levels that can be attributed to unhealthy eating habits and an unbalanced diet. Thus, making changes in your diet, exercising, and regularly consulting with your physician are crucial for those with unhealthy cholesterol levels.

3) Uncontrolled weight

Weight management is crucial to reduce the health risk to your heart health. As per the CDC, the risk of heart disease is greater in people who are overweight or obese. In addition, obesity can also contribute to other health issues such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, and other problems.

4) Smoking

Smoking is a bad habit that harms not only your lungs but also endangers your heart health. As per the CDC research, smoking can cause tightening in major heart arteries, arrhythmia, increased blood pressure, cause blood clotting, increased the risk of an acute coronary syndrome, and cause irreversible damage to arteries. Therefore, it is best to quit the smoking habit considering your long-term heart health.

5) Physical inactivity

In today’s world, everyone leads a stressful work life, and many people spend their free time resting or watching Netflix. Exercising helps maintain proper blood flow to the vital organs in your body. However, neglecting exercise and continuous physical inactivity can impact cardiac health and makes you vulnerable to circulatory diseases. In addition, being inactive and working under stress also allows fatty material buildup in arteries which can lead to artery blockages, ultimately increasing the risk of stroke.

6) Hereditary risk

Some individuals are also at greater risk of heart disease if they have any family history of members with heart diseases. While some hereditary factors, such as congenital defects, cannot be completely avoided, establishing healthy heart habits at a young age can help promote wellness and a better functioning heart.

If you want to keep your heart strong and healthy for a long time, there’s no better way than to change your lifestyle to integrate healthy habits and activities as early as possible. Thus, if you lead an inactive and unhealthy lifestyle, you should consider consulting with a primary care physician at the MKR Medical PC to know your heart risk factors and get customized recommendations to minimize the risk of heart diseases.

MKR Medical PC is fully equipped with advanced equipment for performing a range of diagnostic tests such as:

  • Electrocardiogram
  • Echocardiogram
  • Exercise Stress Tests
  • Pharmacological Stress Tests
  • Myocardial Perfusion Imaging
  • Holter and Event Monitors
  • Cardiac ultrasound