Are You Going To Have A Heart Attack?

Of the many risk factors for a heart attack, there are some you can not do anything about and some that are controllable. Since you can't do anything about your age, gender, or about your family's medical history, we'll start with the factors that you can control — some through medication, and some through positive lifestyle changes.

Heart attack risk factors that you may be able to do something about include:

• Smoking

• High blood pressure

• High levels of LDL cholesterol

• Diabetes

• Being overweight or obese

• Eating a poor diet

• A lack of physical exercise

• Excessive alcohol consumption

• High stress levels

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly half of all Americans have at least one of the main risk factors for a heart attack — they're smokers, have high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels or a combination these factors. The danger of having a heart attack is a wonderful reason to quit smoking, and those who don't know if they have high blood pressure or high cholesterol levels should make an appointment with their family doctor.

Do you also have some of the risk factors that you can't actually do anything about?

They are:

• A higher age, and for women being post-menopausal

• Male gender — but be aware that women are more likely to die from a heart attack, among other reasons because their lower risk of having a heart attack to begin with can lead to a delay in the diagnosis

• A family history of heart disease or heart attack, and this refers specifically to these problems occurring before age 55 for men and 65 for women

Positive Lifestyle Changes That May Save Your Life

Do you recognize yourself in any of the risk factors you just read about? Research shows that people will go to great lengths to avoid risks they have no control over, like terror attacks on air planes. At the same, they are not very likely to be proactive in preventing negative outcomes they can control, such as dying from smoking. Don't fall into this trap if you are at risk of having a heart attack. Take action now.

There is nothing you can do about your age, gender, or family history. Chronic conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure can be controlled to some extent, with medication and proper medical care. If you suffer from diabetes or hypertension, have a chat with your doctor about preventing a heart attack and what to do if you experience any heart attack symptoms.

The third category of risk factors are lifestyle factors. You can improve your diet, start exercising more, and quit smoking. You can get help for high stress and anxiety levels. You can lose weight and bring your cholesterol under control. Don't know where to start? Talk to your doctor now, and find the right support to make the changes that could well save your life.