Risk Factors You Can Not Change

Family History

A history of heart disease in your father or brother aged 55 or younger or in your mother or sister aged 65 or younger increases your risk of developing coronary disease 1.3 to 1.6 times.

Age

The risk of coronary disease increases with age. If you have a parent or brother or sister who has been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease before age 55, you are at greater risk for developing coronary artery disease at an earlier age. From age 35–54 the prevalence of cardiovascular disease is slightly greater in men, but from age 65 on men and women are equally affected. Surveys show that most women are more afraid of breast cancer than of heart disease even though 1 in 30 deaths are from breast cancer and 1 in 2.4 deaths for women are from cardiac disease.

Ethnicity

The prevalence of cardiovascular disease in adults is highest in non-Hispanic African Americans, afflicting 40.5 percent of men and 39.6 percent of women. Thirty percent of non-Hispanic white men have cardiovascular disease as do 23.8 percent of non-Hispanic white women. The prevalence is lowest in Hispanics, 28.8 precent of men and 26.6 percent of women. There is not much that can be done to change your family, age and ethnic risk factors. However, there are other factors that are within your power to change.

Risk Factors You Can Change