12.4: Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease

Metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions that together raise your risk of coronary heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and other serious health problems. Metabolic syndrome is common in the United States; About 1 in 3 adults have metabolic syndrome. The good news is that it is largely preventable.

You might have metabolic syndrome if you have three or more of the following conditions:

• A large waistline: This is also called abdominal obesity or “having an apple shape.” Extra fat in your stomach area is a bigger risk factor for heart disease than extra fat in other parts of your body.
• High blood pressure: If your blood pressure rises and stays high for a long time, it can damage your heart and blood vessels. High blood pressure can also cause plaque, a waxy substance, to build up in your arteries. Plaque can cause heart and blood vessel diseases such as heart attack or stroke.
• High blood sugar levels: This can damage your blood vessels and raise your risk of getting blood clots. Blood clots can cause heart and blood vessel diseases.
• High blood triglycerides: Triglycerides are a type of fat found in your blood. High levels of triglycerides can raise your levels of LDL cholesterol, sometimes called bad cholesterol. This raises your risk of heart disease.
• Low HDL cholesterol, sometimes called good cholesterol: Blood cholesterol levels are important for heart health. “Good” HDL cholesterol can help remove “bad” LDL cholesterol from your blood vessels. “Bad” LDL cholesterol can cause plaque buildup in your blood vessels.

Risk factors you can control include:

• Lifestyle habits:
  • Being inactive
  • Eating an unhealthy diet and large portion sizes
  • Not getting enough good quality sleep, which helps control how your body absorbs nutrients from the food you eat
  • Smoking and drinking a lot of alcohol
• Occupation: Shift workers have a higher risk of metabolic syndrome because they often have circadian clocks that are not aligned with the environment. This can cause problems with how your body absorbs nutrients from food.

Risk factors you cannot control include:

• Age: Your risk of metabolic syndrome increases as you get older.
• Environment: Low socioeconomic status can lead to an unhealthy diet and an inactive lifestyle, and can cause you not to get enough sleep (sleep deprivation).
• Family history and genetics: Your genes can affect your weight or how your body responds to insulin. You have a higher risk of metabolic syndrome if others in your family have had diabetes, metabolic syndrome, or any of its risk factors.
• Other medical conditions: The following medical conditions can raise your risk of metabolic syndrome.
  • Overweight and obesity are the main risk factors for metabolic syndrome because they can raise “bad” LDL cholesterol, blood triglycerides, and blood pressure, and lower “good” HDL cholesterol. Overweight and obesity during pregnancy can raise your child’s risk of metabolic syndrome. In infants, a low birth weight and rapid weight gain after birth can raise the risk of metabolic syndrome later in life.
  • Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a condition that causes fluid-filled sacs called cysts to grow on the ovaries. The hormone changes that cause PCOS can also cause you to have a large waistline, high blood sugar levels, high triglyceride levels, and low levels of “good” HDL cholesterol.
  • Problems with your immune system can cause some skin diseases such as psoriasis, which raise your risk. Certain cancer treatments that affect your immune system also can raise your risk.
  • Sleep problems, including not getting enough sleep (sleep deprivation), circadian rhythm disorders, and sleep apnea, can raise your risk.
  • Some medicines used to treat allergies, bipolar disorder, depression, HIV, and schizophrenia also raise your risk.
• Sex: In older adults, women have a higher risk of metabolic syndrome than men. This is because changes in hormone levels after menopause can raise the risk of a large waistline, high blood sugar levels, and low levels of “good” HDL cholesterol.