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What Factors Can Increase The Risk Getting A Heart Attack?

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Posted on Sat, 31 May 2014
Question: If one is 67 years old, active, lawyer, not overweight, low cholesterol, borderline hypertension,has smoked on and off most of life, can climb mountains, ice~skates, feels good: can this person have a heart attack?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Rovena (1 hour later)
Brief Answer:
It is unlikely but not impossible.

Detailed Answer:
Hello Sir!
I read carefully your query.

There are many factors that can increase the risk to have a heart attack including :
1) Age.
Men who are 45 or older and women who are 55 or older are more likely to have a heart attack than are younger men and women.
2) Tobacco.
Smoking and long-term exposure to secondhand smoke damage the interior walls of arteries, allowing deposits of cholesterol and other substances to collect and slow blood flow.
3)High blood pressure.
Over time, high blood pressure can damage arteries that feed your heart by accelerating atherosclerosis.
4)High blood cholesterol or triglyceride levels increase your risk of a heart attack.
5)Diabetes (high blood sugar) especially uncontrolled diabetes, increases your risk of a heart attack.
6)Family history of heart attack. If your siblings, parents or grandparents have had early heart attacks (by age 55 for male relatives and by age 65 for female relatives), you may be at increased risk.
7)Lack of physical activity. An inactive lifestyle contributes to high blood cholesterol levels and obesity. People who get regular aerobic exercise have better cardiovascular fitness, which decreases their overall risk of heart attack. Exercise is also beneficial in lowering high blood pressure.
8)Obesity raises the risk of heart disease because it's associated with high blood cholesterol levels, high blood pressure and diabetes.
9)Stress.

These are risk factors what means that these factors increase the probability of a heart attack but heart attack can occur even in those who don't have any risk factors.
All people can have a hart attack despite their risk factors.

Considering your medical data you are a healthy man and your chance to have heart attack is low but not impossible.No one can tell that your risk is zero.
The only thing you can do is to minimize risk factors and with this I mean:
-Eat healthy foods and drink plenty of water.
-Everyday physical activity.
-Don't smoke
-Measure your blood pressure and try to keep it in normal range with medications if it is high.
-Test your blood sugar to exclude Diabetes.
-Control your lipidic profile(LDL,Triglycerides,total cholesterol,HDL)
-Try to have a quite life,without stress(as much as possible).

Hope my answer has helped.
If you have further questions please feel free to write me,I will be happy to help.

Regards.
Dr.Rovena Murati


Note: For further follow-up it is advisable to consult an emergency medicine specialist. Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Yogesh D
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Answered by
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Dr. Dr. Rovena

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :2013

Answered : 1243 Questions

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What Factors Can Increase The Risk Getting A Heart Attack?

Brief Answer: It is unlikely but not impossible. Detailed Answer: Hello Sir! I read carefully your query. There are many factors that can increase the risk to have a heart attack including : 1) Age. Men who are 45 or older and women who are 55 or older are more likely to have a heart attack than are younger men and women. 2) Tobacco. Smoking and long-term exposure to secondhand smoke damage the interior walls of arteries, allowing deposits of cholesterol and other substances to collect and slow blood flow. 3)High blood pressure. Over time, high blood pressure can damage arteries that feed your heart by accelerating atherosclerosis. 4)High blood cholesterol or triglyceride levels increase your risk of a heart attack. 5)Diabetes (high blood sugar) especially uncontrolled diabetes, increases your risk of a heart attack. 6)Family history of heart attack. If your siblings, parents or grandparents have had early heart attacks (by age 55 for male relatives and by age 65 for female relatives), you may be at increased risk. 7)Lack of physical activity. An inactive lifestyle contributes to high blood cholesterol levels and obesity. People who get regular aerobic exercise have better cardiovascular fitness, which decreases their overall risk of heart attack. Exercise is also beneficial in lowering high blood pressure. 8)Obesity raises the risk of heart disease because it's associated with high blood cholesterol levels, high blood pressure and diabetes. 9)Stress. These are risk factors what means that these factors increase the probability of a heart attack but heart attack can occur even in those who don't have any risk factors. All people can have a hart attack despite their risk factors. Considering your medical data you are a healthy man and your chance to have heart attack is low but not impossible.No one can tell that your risk is zero. The only thing you can do is to minimize risk factors and with this I mean: -Eat healthy foods and drink plenty of water. -Everyday physical activity. -Don't smoke -Measure your blood pressure and try to keep it in normal range with medications if it is high. -Test your blood sugar to exclude Diabetes. -Control your lipidic profile(LDL,Triglycerides,total cholesterol,HDL) -Try to have a quite life,without stress(as much as possible). Hope my answer has helped. If you have further questions please feel free to write me,I will be happy to help. Regards. Dr.Rovena Murati