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Risk Factors and Causes

Risk factors for cardiovascular disease include unmodifiable factors (i.e., factors that cannot be changed) and modifiable factors (i.e., risk factors that may be controlled or reduced by lifestyle choices and medications).

Unmodifiable risk factors include the following:

• Age (older than 65 years old)
• Family history of heart disease (especially before age 50)
• Male gender
• Menopause in women (Prior to menopause, women have a lower risk than men, but after menopause, the risk is approximately the same in women as it is in men.)

The Framingham Heart Study has shown that having a sibling (i.e., brother or sister) with heart disease is a strong risk factor for the condition. It is unclear whether this increased risk (as high as 45%) is due to genetic factors or to similar childhood lifestyles.

Modifiable risk factors include the following:

• Diabetes
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• High cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia; especially high levels of "bad" cholesterol [LDL] and low levels of "good" cholesterol [HDL])
• High blood homocysteine levels
• Inactivity (sedentary lifestyle)
• Obesity
• Smoking

Recent studies have shown that excess weight in the midsection (belly or abdomen) increases the rate for heart disease.

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