The Risks Of Heart Disease

Risk - The Right Kind of Four Letter Word Its starting to become a familiar phrase now, the information-age twist on what seems like an out-dated adage: What you dont know can hurt you! nd for the most part we belie!e it" #ut when it comes to our health$and our risks for disease$we often find oursel!es saying, %ont tell me! I dont want to know! Well, thats hurting us" Why& #ecause being aware of our health risks, and disease risk factors, could 'uite literally sa!e our li!es" (oday, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the )"*" (here are a !ariety of risk factors associated with heart disease+ the ma,ority are something we can do something about" nd now, its easier than e!er to find out the information we need to know"

What are the Risk Factors for Heart Disease? (he risk factors for heart disease fall into two categories: Behaviors including smoking eing over!eight eing "h#sica$$# inactive drinking a$coho$ use eating a diet high in saturated fats and cho$estero$

%onditions including high $ood "ressure high cho$estero$ dia etes age &over '()

fami$# histor# of heart disease When were talking about disease risk factors, we mean a persons beha!iors and-or conditions that make them more likely to get a disease+ risk factors can also play a part in making an e.isting disease worse" /esearch shows that ha!ing e!en one risk factor doubles our risk of de!eloping heart disease" While there are some we cant change$our age and family history, for instance$we do ha!e some control o!er most of them" Ho! Do * Find Out Whether *+m at Risk? Its not hard to identify any beha!iors that are the result of our own bad habits" 0hances are theyre already on our list of things to change" 1(hink of this as another reason to talk to our healthcare pro!iders and start mo!ing toward a healthier lifestyle!2 #ut the incenti!e to modify risky beha!iors carries e!en more weight when we combine beha!iors with other risk factors, many of which we might not know about" (here are many ways to find out whether we!e a condition that puts us at higher risk for heart disease+ theyre all affordable and none re'uire a !isit to a doctors office" High $ood "ressure often has no symptoms, so its important to be aware of your blood pressure le!els" If you dont ha!e access to a blood pressure cuff at home, !isit your local drugstore or pharmacy" 1In general, any le!el abo!e 345-65 is something to look twice at"2 High cho$estero$ can be determined by a simple blood test that includes a lipid panel with a 7%7-8%7 ratio 1bad cholesterol and good cholesterol2 like the one included in 9ersonalabs low-cost 8ealthy 8eart 9rofile" 7ike others, this test in!ol!es a 'uick !isit to a laboratory+ e!erything else can be done online" Dia etes or pre-diabetes can be determined by testing your blood sugar le!els+ a serum glucose test is included in 9ersonalabs 8ealthy 8eart 9rofile"

If you find out you!e got one or more risk factors for heart disease, its time to !isit your healthcare pro!ider to talk about how to control them"

Want a ,ore %om"$ete -icture? If you already know youre at high risk for heart disease, ha!e had a history of heart disease, or if theres heart disease in your family, consider a more comprehensi!e test which will gi!e you and your healthcare pro!ider more ad!anced diagnostics" gain, these tests can now be ordered online without a doctors order or in!ol!ing your insurance company" (ests such as 9ersonalabs %om"rehensive Hea$th# Heart -rofi$e pro!ide detailed information necessary to determine potential treatment options" Whate!er testing option you decide, risk is no longer a word you should be afraid of" Its only when you find out that you can do something to about it" Whats the saying& n ounce of pre!ention : (o know more about !isit !!!."ersona$a s.com