Heart attack is the leading cause of death around the world. The American Heart Association recommends that a person should assess the risk factors and try to keep them low to prevent heart attack. Here we have listed seven risk factors that can increase your chances of a heart attack. Knowing about the risk factors is important to manage the risk of a heart attack.

1. Obesity

Obesity is the number one risk factor of a heart attack. Being overweight increase the chances of developing health problems that are linked to obesity. Obese individuals generally have a high cholesterol, blood sugar levels, and blood pressure. All these conditions contribute to a heart attack. Losing weight can significantly cut the risk of heart attack.

2. Heredity

Some people inherit faulty genes that results in heart problems. Congenital heart defects affect about one in 1,000 individuals. There are more than 40 different types of heart defects. The most common defect relate to the valves and the muscles that separates the chambers known as a trial or ventricle septal defects. In case your family has a history of heart disease, it’s essential that you contact an experienced cardiologist for a checkup.

4. Age

The heart is a formidable organ that pumps around 2000 gallons of blood in an hour. Over the course of a lifetime, the heart can pump more than one million barrels of blood. However, overtime the muscles of the heart become weak. This means older people are at increased risk of a heart attack. If you are 65 years or older, you should consider having an bi-annual heart checkup.

5. Gender

Studies have shown that males are at increased risk of a heart attack than women. They generally suffer a heart attack earlier in life. However, both are equally likely to suffer from a heart attack in case proper precautions are not taken.

6. Diabetes

Diabetic patients generally have a higher risk of a heart attack. They generally have a higher LDL (bad cholesterol) and lower HDL (good cholesterol) levels. In addition, diabetics often have high blood pressure. These factors make the diabetic patients highly likely to suffer from a heart disease.

7. Hypertension

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, increases the risk of a heart attack. High blood pressure put strain on the heart muscles. A weakened heart muscle increases the risk of a heart attack. So, if you have a high blood pressure, you should take precautions to avoid the risk of a heart attack.

The above are the most common risk factors for a heart attack. To reduce the risk of a heart attack, you should carry on an annual checkup, maintain a healthy weight, and exercise regularly. Also, if anyone in your family has a heart problem, you should consider learning about cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). You can easily take a CPR class online to learn about the life-saving skill. Taking CPR online course is more convenient and less costly as compared to regular classroom based course.