Risk factors

Tobacco

Smoking narrows the arteries, increases blood pressure and thickens the blood making it more prone to clotting, thus creating the perfect circumstances for a cardiac arrest to occur. Tobacco causes 50% of cardiovascular diseases<1> reported on a European level. In Spain alone, more than 50,000 people die each year due to nicotine consumption.

Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a fatty substance that naturally exists in all the cells of our body. However, there is a type of cholesterol – known as bad or low-density cholesterol – which, in excess, can adhere to the walls of the arteries, narrowing and even obstructing them. Scientific studies show that high blood cholesterol levels can increase the risk of heart disease.

Obesity

Obesity, understood as excess body fat, is an important risk factor for heart disease. Although heredity aspects play an important role in the development of this disease, an excess of calory intake and a lack of physical activity also play a role. The danger of obesity lies in the fact that it is associated with the appearance of other cardiovascular risk factors, such as hypertension, cholesterol and diabetes.

High blood pressure

Arterial hypertension is an increase of blood pressure levels. It poses a risk to the heart, as it responds to a resistance of the arteries. Overexertion is accompanied by an increase in blood flow that can lead to coronary insufficiency, angina and arrhythmias.

To find out if you have high blood pressure, you should regularly check your blood pressure and have blood tests to check your cholesterol and blood glucose levels.

Sedentary lifestyle

The lack of exercise or physical activity is one of the major risk factors in the development of cardiovascular disease. And that’s not all: sedentary lifestyles are linked to other cardiovascular risk factors such as cholesterol, hypertension, obesity and diabetes. In other words, physical exercise strengthens the heart muscle, makes the arteries more flexible and, even when practiced moderately, increases life expectancy.

Diabetes

Diabetes is a disease caused by low insulin production or the body’s resistance to insulin.

This will result in increased blood glucose levels, and hence diabetes is considered a cardiovascular enemy: This increase in glucose, called hyperglycemia, progressively damages the blood vessels, increasing the risk of diseases such as angina pectoris, acute myocardial infarction and sudden death.

Stress

The fact that stress has serious consequences for your body is not a myth. So you better check your lifestyle. If you think you are under stress, do something about it, because it causes psychosomatic reactions and psychological disorders that can sometimes be serious. The amount and quality of sleep hours may also affect stress levels.

In addition, it has been shown that there is a direct relationship between the risk of cardiovascular disease and emotional stress.