This health risk profile estimates your risk of developing heart disease compared to the average man or woman. More importantly, it tells you which factors contribute to your risk and what you can do to reduce your chance of developing heart disease. The Heart Disease Risk Profile helps you take action to reduce your chance of developing heart disease and its complications.

What is heart disease? In common usage, the term "heart disease" refers specifically to the most frequent condition affecting the heart, known as coronary artery disease. This condition is caused by blockages in the blood vessels that feed the heart (the coronary arteries). In people with coronary artery disease, over time a substance called plaque, which contains large amounts of cholesterol, builds up inside the coronary arteries. Eventually, the blood flow to the heart is impaired, causing damage to the heart muscle. Permanent damage is called a heart attack, which actually kills a portion of the heart. Sudden cardiac death occurs if the heart, as a result of reduction in blood flow, starts beating in an abnormal way that cannot effectively pump blood to the body.

Heart disease is the most common cause of death in both men and women. In fact, it accounts for more than 30% of all deaths. (Women: you are 8 times more likely to die of heart disease than of breast cancer). In addition, many people with heart disease live for years with disabilities such as chest pain, shortness of breath and fatigue that can severely limit their quality of life. So it certainly makes sense to reduce your risk of developing heart disease!

What causes heart disease? We know more about the causes of coronary artery disease than almost any other health condition. The major risk factors for heart disease include elevated cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes, cigarette smoking and obesity. Other significant contributors include lack of exercise, a diet high in saturated fat and low in fiber, family history, and several other dietary and laboratory factors. Overall, over 90% of the causes of heart disease are under your control.

A risk factor is anything that affects your chances of getting a particular disease. You can control some, but not all of them. Those you can't control include family history and environmental exposures or behaviors from the past. Those you can control include your current behaviors, particularly diet and exercise, and current environmental exposures, such as to tobacco smoke. Remember that risk factors are not absolute: having one or more of them does not mean you will definitely get heart disease, and avoiding risk factors does not guarantee you will be healthy. But they substantially affect your odds.

What about screening? Screening tests, or early detection, are designed to find heart disease before the heart has suffered any damage. A positive screening test is typically followed by more testing to confirm that the person has heart disease. Our Heart Disease Risk Profile tells you when you are most likely to benefit from screening; be sure to talk with your doctor for more information.

The best defense against heart disease is to avoid getting it in the first place. That's why risk factors are so important. By identifying which ones are raising your risk, and taking action to change those that you can, you'll reduce your chances of developing heart disease. And if you already have heart disease, targeting your risk factors can help avoid a heart attack or sudden cardiac death.