According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a person dies of heart disease every 36 seconds in the United States. Heart disease is still the number one killer of men and women in Western countries, and it’s a disease strongly influenced by lifestyle. You’re probably familiar with the most common risk factors for cardiovascular disease. These include:
- Genetics
- Obesity
- High blood pressure
- Elevated blood sugar
- Elevated LDL-cholesterol and Low HDL-cholesterol
- Being male or a post-menopausal woman
- Having Diabetes
- Lack of Physical Activity
For example, research shows people who are physically inactive are at a much higher risk for developing heart disease than those who are active. But there are other factors studies say elevate the odds of developing heart disease or a heart attack, some of which you may not be familiar with. Let’s look at some of those.
Being a Low Birth Weight Baby
Your birth weight may say something about your risk of heart disease. One study showed that people with a birth weight of under 6 pounds have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, independent of other factors, including pre-term birth. In fact, a lower body weight raises the risk of cardiovascular disease by as much as 35%.
You can’t control your birth weight, but if you were a small baby, work on controlling other risk factors for heart disease by staying a healthy body weight, monitoring your blood pressure, blood sugar, and lipids, and eating a heart-healthy diet.
Low-Grade Inflammation
Most people think high cholesterol is the main cause of cardiovascular disease, but half of all heart attacks occur in people with a normal cholesterol level. Research now shows chronic low-grade inflammation is also a factor that contributes to cardiovascular disease. Scientists are still researching how inflammation triggers heart attacks and strokes.
One theory is that plaque builds up in the walls of the arteries that carry blood to the heart. Your immune system identifies those plaques as foreign and launches an inflammatory response to try to eradicate them. This can cause a blood clot to form that blocks the blood vessel and reduces oxygen delivery to the heart, leading to heart damage.
How can you lower low-grade inflammation? Research suggests that eating an anti-inflammatory diet, like a Mediterranean eating plan, helps subdue the immune response and lower the risk of the immune system overreacting. High cholesterol is still a factor because it creates plaque, but an overactive immune system, by causing inflammation, plays a role too.
Developing the Flu
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people who are sidelined by a case of the flu have a 6-times higher risk of heart attack within 7 days of the flu infection. The risk is greatest for older adults. Why might influenza be a risk factor for heart attack? One theory is that the inflammatory response to the influenza virus is the culprit.
The best way to lower your risk of a heart attack after a bout with the flu is to not get the flu in the first place. It’s not 100%, but a seasonal influenza vaccine will reduce your risk, and it’s readily available each year. Take advantage of it and take other precautions like washing your hands more often and avoiding people who are coughing or sneezing.
Unfortunately, COVID-19 infection also increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. A study found that even people who weren’t hospitalized for COVID-19 infection were at higher risk of future cardiovascular events.
Other Infections
The influenza virus isn’t the only microorganism linked with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. Researchers link infection with Chlamydia pneumoniae, a bacterium that causes respiratory illness, with greater odds of heart disease too. As with influenza, the link is likely inflammation. When you have a chlamydia infection, your immune system mounts a response that leads to inflammation.
When you’re infected with Chlamydia, it activates your immune system and triggers inflammation that damages the inner walls of blood vessels. Other research shows bacteria that cause gum disease may boost the odds of a heart attack or stroke. It’s another reason to brush and floss twice per day and get regular dental check-ups.
High Fibrinogen
Fibrinogen is a protein that promotes blood clotting. Research shows that having a high level of fibrinogen makes it easier for your body to form clots that lead to strokes and heart attacks. Women have a higher fibrinogen level than men, on average, and lifestyle plays a role. For example, smoking increases fibrinogen, while exercise lowers it. If you have hypertension, type 2 diabetes, or are overweight or obese, your fibrinogen may be higher too. How do you know if your fibrinogen level is high? Your doctor can check it with a blood test.
Loneliness
Social contacts are beneficial for heart health. Research links being lonely or having few social connections with a higher risk of heart attack and stroke. According to Harvard Health, being socially isolated is associated with a 29% greater risk of heart attack and a 32% higher risk of stroke. The stress of social isolation is the likely factor.
Humans are social creatures and need contact with others. People who live in communities with strong social ties tend to have longer lifespans. For example, people who live in “blue zones,” areas with unusual longevity, have strong social ties and support systems.
The Bottom Line
Some of these heart disease risk factors you can’t control, but you can compensate, to some degree, by maintaining a healthy body weight, eating a healthy diet, staying physically active, and controlling your blood pressure and blood sugar.
References:
- “Flu & People with Heart Disease or History of Stroke | CDC.” 26 Aug. 2021, cdc.gov/flu/highrisk/heartdisease.htm.
- “Inflammation and Heart Disease | American Heart Association.” 31 Jul. 2015, heart.org/en/health-topics/consumer-healthcare/what-is-cardiovascular-disease/inflammation-and-heart-disease.
- Sidik SM. Heart-disease risk soars after COVID — even with a mild case. Nature. 2022;602(7898):560-560. doi:10.1038/d41586-022-00403-0
- ”Impact of Low Birth Weight and Cardiovascular Risk Factors ….” ahajournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1161/01.cir.103.9.1264.
- Smith CJ, Ryckman KK, Barnabei VM, Howard BV, Isasi CR, Sarto GE, Tom SE, Van Horn LV, Wallace RB, Robinson JG. The impact of birth weight on cardiovascular disease risk in the Women’s Health Initiative. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2016 Mar;26(3):239-45. doi: 10.1016/j.numecd.2015.10.015. Epub 2015 Nov 18. PMID: 26708645; PMCID: PMC4788544.
- “Chlamydia pneumoniae and Cardiovascular Disease.” nc.cdc.gov/eid/article/4/4/pdfs/98-0407.pdf.
- “Gum disease and heart disease: The common thread – Harvard ….” 15 Feb. 2021, health.harvard.edu/heart-health/gum-disease-and-heart-disease-the-common-thread.
- “Loneliness has same risk as smoking for heart disease ….” 16 Jun. 2016, health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/loneliness-has-same-risk-as-smoking-for-heart-disease.
- Valtorta NK, Kanaan M, Gilbody S, et alLoneliness and social isolation as risk factors for coronary heart disease and stroke: systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal observational studies. Heart 2016;102:1009-1016.
- “Heart Disease Facts | cdc.gov.” 07 Feb. 2022, https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm.
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