One in four adults have some form of cardiovascular disease, and it is the leading cause of death in the United States1 . The good news is heart disease can be prevented by controlling your cardiac risk factors. It is important to know what factors in your life put you at higher risk so that you can make changes to help yourself.
Are You at Risk for Heart Disease?
Answer the questions below to find out your risk for heart disease.
Heart Disease Equivalents
- Have you had a heart attack, an angioplasty or stent, or coronary artery bypass surgery?
- Have you had a stroke or been told you have blockages in other arteries in your body such as the carotids, renals or arteries in your legs?
- Do you have diabetes or fasting blood sugars higher than 110 mg./dL?
Major Cardiovascular Risk Factors
- Are you a male over 45 years old or a female over 55 years old or experienced menopause?
- Do you have family members that developed heart disease at a young age? (Father or brother under 55 years old or mother or sister under 65 years old.)
- Have you smoked cigarettes in the past 12 months?
- Select the numbers that most closely match your last blood pressure (BP) reading:
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- Is your systolic BP (top number) 140 or above?
- Is your diastolic BP (bottom number) 90 or above?
- Are you on medicine to lower blood pressure?
- Select the numbers below that most closely match your last lipid profile:
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- LDL Cholesterol2
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- Less than 100
- 100-129
- 130-160
- 161-190
- Over 190
- HDL Cholesterol:
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- Less than 403
- Between 40 and 60
- Greater than 604
Contributing Cardiovascular Risk Factors
- Is your body mass index (BMI) 25 kg/m2 or greater?
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- BMI = (weight in pounds)/(height in inch x height in inches) x 703
- Are you exercising less than 30 minutes three times a week?
- Do you frequently have strong feelings of anger/hostility, stress or depression?
What Can You Do to Prevent Heart Disease?
If you answered “yes” to two or more risk factor questions above (excluding heart disease equivalents), consider scheduling an appointment with your physician to discuss your risks or consider calling the Loyola Cardiac Risk Factor Reduction Program at (888) LUHS-888, extension 6-4485 to schedule an appointment with a registered nurse for assistance in making desired lifestyle changes.
You can start to make the following lifestyle changes now to lower your risk and prevent cardiovascular disease:
- Quit smoking if you smoke
- Follow a sensible, well-balanced, low-fat diet
- Increase your physical activity
- Learn to manage stress properly
- Lose weight if you are overweight
- Know your BP and cholesterol numbers, and work with your doctor to keep them at optimal levels
- Keep other illnesses like diabetes under control
- Take your medicine as prescribed
- See your doctor regularly
We provide this risk assessment for educational purposes only. This is not medical advice. The results of the assessment should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease, nor is this a substitute for professional care. Should you have any health-care related questions or suspect you have a health problem, you should contact your health-care provider. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately.
1. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, January 2008.
2. Count one “yes” response if your LDL is greater than 130 (or greater than 100 if you have heart disease, diabetes or vascular disease.)
3. Count one “yes” response if your HDL is < 40.
4. HDL > 60mg/dL is a protective factor. Subtract one “yes” response. (National Cholesterol Education Program, Adult Treatment Panel III, 2001)