Coronary artery disease (CAD) risk factors
High cholesterol is not the only risk factor for developing coronary artery disease (CAD). You are considered to be at increased risk for developing coronary artery disease if you:
- Are a man age 45 or older, a woman age 55 or older, or a woman who has gone through early menopause.
- Have a family history of early coronary artery disease.
- Smoke cigarettes.
- Have high blood pressure (higher than 140/90 mm Hg) or are taking medication for high blood pressure.
- Have a low HDL cholesterol level (below 40 mg/dL or 1.03 mmol/L).
Generally, if you have a high HDL cholesterol level (at least 60 mg/dL or 1.55 mmol/L), you can subtract one risk factor from your total. When this topic discusses risk factors for heart disease that are used to make treatment decisions, the risk factors in the list above are the ones being considered.
Metabolic syndrome has also been shown to increase the risk of CAD.
Highest risk factors
Several diseases or conditions place you at high risk for developing CAD and are as dangerous as having coronary artery disease. These include:1
- Diabetes.
- Peripheral arterial disease.
- A diseased carotid artery that causes symptoms.
- Abdominal aortic aneurysm.
People who have over a 20% risk of developing CAD over the next 10 years may need to seriously consider aggressive treatment.1 They are considered to be in the highest risk category.
Other risk factors
Researchers are also looking at other conditions, including high homocysteine levels, that may increase the risk of coronary artery disease. Less is known about how these conditions affect your risk of heart attack or stroke and how having them will affect the way high cholesterol is treated.
Obesity and lack of regular exercise are also considered risk factors for CAD. However, the relationship is less clear.
Menopause, and the drop in estrogen that follows it, may raise a woman's risk for coronary artery disease. But taking hormone therapy does not prevent coronary artery disease. In fact, if you are 10 or more years past menopause, taking hormone therapy may raise your risk of coronary artery disease.2 Talk to your doctor about your risks with hormone therapy.
| Author: | Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS Robin Parks, MS | Last Updated: September 13, 2007 |
| Medical Review: | E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine Stephen Fort, MD, MRCP, FRCPC - Interventional Cardiology | |
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