Age
As you get older, your risk of heart disease increases – even if you don't have any other risk factors. For example, once men reach 55, they are already at ‘moderate risk'. This means they have a one in ten to one in seven chance of having a heart attack in the next ten years.
Gender
Men are at an increased risk of developing heart disease compared to women. This is because the female hormones offer women some protection from developing heart disease until they reach the menopause. Although men are at an increased risk, heart disease is a significant problem in the UK for both men and women, ultimately killing one in four men and one in six women.
Family History Of Early Heart Disease
If you have a family history of heart disease (that is, your father or brother had a heart attack before 55, or your mother or sister had a heart attack before 65), your risk of heart disease is increased.
South Asian Ethnicity
Medical studies have shown that people of South Asian descent (Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) living in a Westernised culture have a higher rate of heart disease
than the overall population. The exact reason for this increase is not known.
How can you improve your modifiable risk factors?
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