If you are age 50 or older, understanding your risk for heart disease can help you make choices that protect your health. Heart disease is common in men over 50, but knowing your risks and what you can do may lower your chances of problems in the future.
Risks of Heart Disease
Your chance of developing heart disease goes up as you get older. These are some factors that can raise your risk:
- High blood pressure: High blood pressure can harm your arteries and make it easier for buildup to form inside them.
- High cholesterol: Too much bad cholesterol (LDL) can lead to plaque forming in your arteries.
- Smoking: Smoking can hurt your blood vessels, raise your blood pressure, and lower the oxygen your blood carries.
- Lack of physical activity: Being inactive often leads to weight gain and higher risk for heart disease.
- Obesity: Being overweight often means higher cholesterol and blood pressure.
- Diabetes: High blood sugar can harm your blood vessels and nerves that help control your heart.
- Family history: If close family members have had heart disease, you may be at greater risk too.
- Heavy alcohol use: Drinking too much alcohol can cause high blood pressure and can lead to heart failure.
Ways to Lower Your Risk
You can take simple steps to lower your risk for heart disease:
- Eat healthy foods: Include more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins in your meals.
- Be active: Try to get at least 150 minutes every week of moderate activities, such as brisk walking or cycling.
- Quit smoking: Talk with your healthcare provider about ways to stop smoking. There are support options to help you.
- Keep a healthy weight: Losing even a small amount of weight can lower your risk for heart disease.
- Limit alcohol: If you drink, keep it moderate. For most men, this means no more than two drinks per day.
- Manage stress: Finding ways to relax, like meditation or yoga, can help lower stress levels.
Common Tests for Heart Health
Regular check-ups and tests help find heart concerns early. You may want to talk with your healthcare provider about these tests:
- Blood pressure measurement: Regular checks can show if you have high blood pressure.
- Cholesterol test: Blood tests can show your levels of HDL (good) and LDL (bad) cholesterol.
- Blood sugar test: Tests help find out if you have or may develop diabetes.
- Electrocardiogram (EKG/ECG): This test checks the electrical activity of your heart and looks for problems.
- Stress test: This test shows how your heart works during activity or exercise.
- Heart imaging (like echocardiogram or CT scan): These give a detailed look at your heart’s structure and function if your doctor recommends them.
Paying attention to these steps and tests makes it easier to take control of your heart health. Ask your healthcare provider about your risk and what steps are best for you. Small changes now can make a big difference in your heart health over time.