Things That Can Cause Heart Disease

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer in the United States. There are many reasons why someone may get heart disease. Some reasons you cannot prevent. For instance, older people--men in general--and those with a family history of heart disease are things you have no control over. There are, however, some things that cause heart disease that can be controlled by you.

Smoking

• Smoking causes heart disease. Smokers are twice as likely to have a heart attack than nonsmokers, and they have a greater risk of developing heart disease even if they do not have a heart attack.

High Blood Pressure

• High blood pressure puts a strain on your heart and blood vessels. This can bring about heart disease.

High Cholesterol

• High cholesterol increases your chances of getting heart disease because it makes the heart pump more and faster, eventually weakening it.

Not Exercising

• You are likely to get heart disease if you are sedentary because your blood circulation will become poor. Poor blood circulation brings about disease to your blood vessels and, therefore, to your heart.

Being Overweight

• Being overweight also puts a strain on your heart and eventually causes heart disease. Belly fat in particular can weaken your heart.

Stress

• One of the side effects of uncontrolled stress is heart disease. The exact reason why this happens is unclear, but it could be the increased amount of stress hormones in your blood.