Controlling Your Risk Factors

     If you have heart disease, you may wonder why you have it. The
     answer is that many personal characteristics, health conditions, and
     lifestyle habits can contribute to heart disease. These are called
     risk factors.

     But risk factors do more than simply contribute to heart problems.
     They also increase the chances that existing heart disease will
     worsen. Since you already have heart disease, it is very important
     to find out about all of your risk factors and take active steps to
     control them.

     Certain risk factors, such as getting older, can’t be changed. Starting
     at age 45, a man’s risk of heart disease begins to rise, while a woman’s
     risk begins to increase at age 55. Family history of early heart
     disease is another risk factor that can’t be changed. If your father
     or brother had a heart attack before age 55, or if your mother or
     sister had one before age 65, you are more likely to develop heart
     disease yourself.

     While certain risk factors can’t be changed, it’s important to realize
     that you do have control over many others. Regardless of your age
     or family history, or how serious your heart disease is, you can take
     steps to reduce your risk of a first or repeat heart attack. You can
     also manage other problems associated with heart disease, such as
     angina, heart failure, and arrhythmias.

     It may be tempting to believe that doing just one healthy thing will
     be enough to control heart disease. For example, you may hope that
     if you walk or swim regularly, you can still eat a lot of fatty foods
     and stay safe. Not so. To reduce your risk of a heart attack and
     other complications, it is vital to make changes that address each
     risk factor you have. You can make the changes gradually, one at
     a time. But making them is very important.

  While each risk factor may contribute to worsened heart disease,
     the more risk factors you have, the higher your risk. That’s because
     risk factors tend to “gang up” and worsen each other’s effects. For
     example, if you have high blood cholesterol and diabetes, your heart
     attack risk increases enormously. The message is clear: If you have
     heart disease, you must take immediate steps to reduce your risk of
     life-threatening medical problems. It’s your heart and you have
     everything to gain from taking good care of it.

     You and Your Doctor: A Healthy Partnership
     Your doctor can be an important partner in helping you manage
     h e a rt disease. He or she may already have spoken with you about
     your heart disease risk factors, but if not, be sure to ask about how to
     control all of them to help prevent future pro b l e m s . H e re are some
     tips for establishing good, clear communication with your doctor.

     Speak up. Tell your doctor that you want to keep your heart disease
     from getting worse and would like help in achieving that goal. Ask
     questions about your chances of having a first heart attack or a
     repeat heart attack, your risk of other heart complications, and ways
     to lower those risks. If you haven’t done so already, ask for tests
     that will determine your personal risk factors.

     Be open. When your doctor asks you questions, answer them as
     honestly and fully as you can. While certain
     topics may seem quite personal, discussing
     them openly can help your doctor work
     with you more effectively to
     manage your heart condition.

     Keep it simple. If you don’t
     understand something your
     doctor says, ask for an explanation in
     plain language. Be especially sure you
     understand how to make the
     lifestyle changes your doctor
     recommends, as well as
     why and how to take
     each medication you’re
     given. If you’re wor-
     ried about under-
     standing what the

doctor says, or if you have trouble hearing, bring a friend or relative

with you to your appointment. You may want to ask that person to

write down the doctor’s instructions for you.