If you have coronary artery disease in your family, you need to take extra precautions regarding your health. This is because you are at a greater risk of developing chronic high cholesterol, a stroke, or a heart attack.
However, you could still be at risk if you don’t have the coronary artery disease running in the family. Here are some of the heart attack causes you need to watch out for. If your lifestyle has one or all of them, it is time to be extra careful!
1. Obesity
One of the leading causes of heart attacks is obesity. You are at an increased risk of getting chronically high cholesterol when you are overweight. Unless you control your weight, you will most likely have to take cholesterol medications for life.
The fatty foods you consume also increase your LDL cholesterol. So, even if you have a high metabolism that prevents you from getting fat, you should not consume fast food and greasy meals daily.
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2. Smoking
If you smoke a lot, it has likely caused damage to your teeth. So, when you talk or smile, your stained teeth ruin your appearance. Besides the looks, smoking puts you at a high risk of coronary artery disease.
3. Alcohol Consumption
If you consume a lot of alcohol and are already at increased risk of coronary artery disease, you should completely eliminate it from your diet.
The damage to the liver affects the digestive system’s ability to process the fats in meals. Therefore, the LDL cholesterol increases rapidly and blocks your heart valves.
4. Sedentary Lifestyle
If you are sedentary, you are not allowing your body to burn all you consume. Ensure you incorporate at least 45 minutes of physical activity in your routine to avoid getting any kind of coronary artery disease.
Signs of Heart Disease
If you are at risk of getting a heart attack or getting dangerously high cholesterol levels, your body does show some signs. These signs include:
- Shortness of breath: when you climb a flight of stairs or even walk more than you are used to, you experience shortness of breath. This is a strong indicator that your heart is not working the way it’s supposed to in a healthy body.
- Swollen Ankles: If you experience swelling around your ankles, your body isn’t processing the fats as effectively as it should.
- Chest Pains: If you experience chest pains when you wake up or do light physical activity, you will probably have to start taking cholesterol medications soon.
Final Words
There are many cases of heart attacks where the patient is unaware of what caused them. Even if you maintain a healthy balance of physical activity and food, you are at risk of heart disease.
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It might be your smoking habit or your alcohol consumption that racks up the risk of cholesterol or a heart attack. So, make sure that you eat healthily!
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