“The good news is that these are factors you can affect in a positive way if you take responsibility and work on improving your own health.”
– Dr. Daniel Krause
Heart disease is still the leading cause of death in the United States, contributing to one in three deaths. But by taking steps to address risk factors, you can keep your heart healthier as you age.
A recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) analyzed data from more than one and a half million people in 34 countries and found that more than 50 percent of cardiovascular disease incidents and around 20 percent of deaths could be attributed to five modifiable risk factors.
“This study shows that over 50 percent cardiovascular events could be prevented if people addressed certain modifiable risk factors,” said Daniel Krause, DO, Cardiologist with Aspirus Heart Care. “The good news is that these are factors you can affect in a positive way if you take responsibility and work on improving your own health.”
The five modifiable risk factors the study identified are:
- Body mass index
- Systolic blood pressure
- Non-high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol
- Current smoking
- Diabetes
“The biggest thing is trying to control your weight, blood pressure, diabetes if you have it, high cholesterol if you have it, and really trying to be more active and pay attention to those risk factors,” said Dr. Krause. “It might seem overwhelming, but work with your primary care provider or a cardiologist to develop a plan to get all those risk factors down. Often people end up enjoying the process, especially when they see the numbers and weight start to go down.”
One of the most important things people can do is to get established with a Primary Care Provider.
“Many of the people who we see with a heart attack in their early 50s, 60s, haven’t seen a doctor in 10, 15 years,” said Dr. Krause. “They really didn’t know that they had high cholesterol, diabetes, overweight, and other risk factors and then it’s too late.”
Best advice – talk to your health care provider to determine your risk for heart disease and follow their recommendations for additional changes you may benefit from.