Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in Canada, accounting for close to 33 percent of all deaths. While men are more likely to develop heart disease early in life, women "catch up" following menopause as levels of protective estrogen decline. Eight in 10 Canadians have at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease and 11 percent have three or more risk factors. The more risk factors you have, the greater your chance of developing coronary heart disease.
Many of these risk factors are known as “modifiable risk factors.” This means they can be reduced or even eliminated if you are able to identify them.
Risk factors that are not modifiable include the following:
- Ethnicity. South Asian, Black, First Nations/Aboriginal Peoples or Inuit have higher rates of heart disease.
- Age and gender. (Fifty-five and over for women, over 45 for men.)
- Family medical history. Having a close relative who has had a heart attack or stroke before age 65, angina, high blood cholesterol or elevated blood pressure increases your own risk.
Risk factors that you can influence include the following:
- High blood cholesterol. As blood cholesterol levels rise, so does risk of coronary heart disease. When other risk factors (such as high blood pressure and smoking) exist, this risk further increases. A person's cholesterol level is also affected by age, sex, heredity and diet.
- Elevated blood pressure. High blood pressure increases the heart's workload, causing the heart to thicken and become less flexible. When high blood pressure exists with obesity, smoking, high blood cholesterol or diabetes, the risk of heart attack or stroke is increased several times.
- Lack of exercise. An inactive lifestyle is a risk factor for coronary heart disease. Regular, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity can help control blood cholesterol, diabetes and obesity, as well as help lower blood pressure.
- Obesity. People who have excess body fat - especially in the midsection - are more likely to develop heart disease and stroke even if they have no other risk factors. Excess weight increases the heart's work. It also raises blood pressure and blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and lowers HDL (good) cholesterol levels. It can also increase the risk of developing diabetes.
- Being a smoker. A smoker’s risk of developing coronary heart disease is over twice that of nonsmokers. Cigarette smoking also acts with other risk factors to greatly increase the risk for coronary heart disease.
- Leading a stressful lifestyle. Mismanaged stress sets in motion a chain of events that impact the arteries, increasing the risk of heart attack or stroke.
- Having diabetes. Diabetes significantly increases your risk of developing cardiovascular disease. (Close to three-quarters of people with diabetes die of some form of heart or blood vessel disease.) Even when blood sugar levels are well controlled, diabetes increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. If you have diabetes, it is extremely important to work with your doctor and pharmacist to properly manage your condition.
Women and Heart Disease
Although the percentage of men who die from heart disease remains slightly higher than that of women, the incidence of heart disease continues to increase among the female population. A woman’s risk increases significantly following menopause, when levels of protective estrogen wane.
Heart disease is the major cause of death and disability among Canadian women, and the leading cause of death in women over the age of 35. Two in three women have one or more major risk factors for heart disease but, when questioned, most women dismiss these dangers, citing breast cancer as their main concern. (It is worth noting that osteoporosis, or brittle bone disease, kills more women in Canada than breast and ovarian cancers combined.)
Women are less likely to survive heart attacks than men. At present, doctors do not understand why. It may be that women don't seek or receive treatment as soon as men, or it may be because a woman's heart and blood vessels are usually smaller and therefore more easily damaged.
If you are a woman, it is important to know your risk factors for heart disease and how to reduce them.
The Heart-Healthy Living newsletter helps people with heart problems control their cholesterol and blood pressure by providing the information needed to follow a 'heart-healthy' lifestyle.