Can You Afford To Gamble With Your Life?
It is a fact that heart disease kills us men, and at times, faster than it kills women. So as men, we owe it to ourselves to first of all, know and understand as much as we can about heart disease and then, secondly, to do everything that we can to avoid or, at least, minimize the possibility of becoming diagnosed with heart disease.
Of course, men and women need to take care of themselves just as well, but for us men, heart disease is something that wipes out more of us than it does for women, especially at the ages before a women gets to menopause.
If, by chance, you are woman reading this or any of our articles on the BAM! site, please, also use the information that we present here for your betterment as well. As well, if you are a woman with men in your life, please do share our information with them.
Even though this site is mostly geared for men, BAM! believes that regardless of someone’s sex or sexual preference, we all need to be the best person that we can be.
According to the World Health Organization, “heart disease causes more than 17 million deaths worldwide each year and is responsible for half of the deaths in the United States.”
Forms Of Heart Disease Or Cardiovascular Disease
- High blood pressure
- Valvular heart disease
- Stroke
- Coronary artery disease
- Arrhythmias or irregular heartbeat
Why Are You Willing To Take The Risk?
Risk factors associated with heart disease fit into 2 categories, major and contributing. Major risk factors are known and proven to increase your risk of heart disease. Contributing risk factors can lead to an increased risk of developing heart disease. The more risk factors you have, the higher the chance you have of developing heart disease.
Major Risk Factors
A few major risk factors associated with heart disease include high blood pressure, diabetes, physical inactivity, gender, heredity, and age. Some of these factors are discussed below.
- High Blood Pressure – High blood pressure or hypertension is known and proven to increase your risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. If an individual is obese, smokes, or has high blood cholesterol in conjunction with high blood pressure, the risks of heart disease or stroke significantly increase.
- Diabetes – Heart problems are the leading cause of death among people with diabetes; people with adult-onset Type 2 diabetes are especially at risk. Certain racial and ethnic groups have a higher risk of developing diabetes (African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Asian and Pacific Islanders). According to the American Heart Association, an estimated 65% of patients with diabetes die of cardiovascular disease.
- High Blood Cholesterol – Cholesterol is a fat-like substance that is carried in your blood and is found in all your body’s cells. The liver is responsible for production of cholesterol that helps form cell membranes and make hormones.
Cholesterol enters the body from food, especially that food that has saturated fat such as red meat or full fat cheese. Too much “bad cholesterol” in the blood causes plaque to form on artery walls and this build up restrict blood flow to the heart resulting in heart attack and increased risks for heart attack. - Obesity And Overweight Individuals – Extra weight may lead to increased risk of high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, and diabetes, all major risk factors of heart disease. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute reports being overweight is defined as having a body mass index or BMI over 25. Individuals with a BMI over 30 are considered obese.
- Smoking – We all know smoking has many health risks to it to include lung cancer. However, smoking also increases the risk of heart disease and peripheral vascular disease, a disease within the vessels that supply blood to the arms and legs. The American Heart Association states that more than 480,000 Americans die of smoking-related illnesses each year.
- Gender – Men have a higher risk of heart attack than women overall. However, once women reach menopause, the difference narrows, and the risk of heart disease for men and women is about the same. After 65, heart disease affects more women than men, and heart attacks are generally more severe in women than men.
Contributing Risk Factors
Contributing risk factors may not directly lead to heart disease; however, they may aid in developing heart disease when combined or in conjunction with major risk factors. These are just a few contributing factors:
- Stress – the effects of stress and risks of heart disease is being studied, but stress is known as a contributing risk factor.
- Stressful situations raise your heart rate, and blood pressure increases the heart’s need for oxygen. The increased oxygen demand can lead to insufficient oxygen-rich blood to the tissue or can lead to chest pains.
- The nervous system releases extra hormones, most times adrenaline, that cause blood pressure to rise, possibly leading to injury to the lining of arteries. When the injured arteries heal, the walls may harden or become thicker, making it easier for plaque buildup.
- Increases the amount of blood clotting factors that circulate within your blood, making it easier for clots to form. These clots then may block an artery narrowed by plaque buildup and can lead to a heart attack.
- Birth Control Pills – Early birth control pills had high estrogen and progestin levels, and taking these pills increased the risk of heart disease and stroke. The threat intensified in women older than 35 and smoked. If you have other risk factors, and take birth control pills, your chances of developing heart disease or blood clots can increase. The American Heart Association encourages women who take birth control, whether in pill form or not, should have yearly checkups.
- Alcohol – Studies have shown that the risk of heart disease in people who consume moderate amounts of alcohol is lower than in nondrinkers. Experts say average intake for men is one to two drinks a day and one drink per day for women. However, drinking more than a moderate amount can cause heart-related problems to arise, such as high blood pressure, irregular heartbeats, stroke, and disease of the heart muscle.
Conclusion
When it comes to the risk factors associated with heart disease there are two categories: Major and Contributing. The major risk factors are known and proven to increase your risk of heart disease. Contributing risk factors can lead to an increased risk of developing heart disease.
The more risk factors you have, the higher the chance you have of developing heart disease.
Do all that you can to minimize your risk of developing heart disease. Your life is not something that should be gambled with. If at all possible, the risk of having heart problems should be avoided at all costs!
Be A Man – Do The Right Thing. It’s Your Life. It’s Your Choice. Take Care Of Yourself. Eat Right And Exercise.
BAM!!! Be A Man! Do The Right Thing.
Be the DtRTy Guy!