Matters of the Heart

Smoking causes inflammation to the lining of the arteries, elevates blood pressure, increases clotting and decreases good HDL cholesterol.

Hypertension is a silent killer. It causes inflammation, constriction of vessels, enlargement and thickening of the heart muscle, and can lead to heart attack, heart failure, stroke and kidney disease if untreated. Optimal blood pressure is 120/80 or less.

High cholesterol and LDL causes inflammation, constriction and increases the risk of clot formation in the vessels. Triglycerides are one of the lipids that is measured. The optimal levels for all people should be:

• Cholesterol: less than 200
• LDL: less than 100
• HDL: 50 or greater
• Triglycerides: 150 or less
  
  
• More facts about cholesterol

Diabetes

Diabetes is an independent risk factor for developing coronary heart disease. This means that diabetics should be treated with aggressive blood pressure and lipid-lowering medications as well as weight management and exercise. More about diabetes.

Obesity

Obesity is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. People who carry their weight in the stomach area, called central adiposity, are at higher risk of developing coronary heart disease. The pancreas is overworked to produce large amounts of insulin to manage high calorie intake and the tissues' inability to utilize the insulin effciently. Obesity also causes:

• High blood pressure
• High triglycerides
• Low HDL in some people
• Insulin resistance

Sedentary lifestyle

A lifestyle with very little or no physical activity increases stiffness in the vessels and causes weight gain.

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