Heart disease risk factors

The older we get, the greater our risk of disease and age is the strongest predictor of heart disease.

Coronary heart disease increases with age in both men and women. It is rare in the first two decades of life, becoming more common after the age of 30 and much more marked in men than women below the age of 60 years. Beyond 60 years, heart disease in women increases at a fast rate and after 70 years old the rate approaches that in males.
Most heart attacks happen in men aged over 45 and women aged over 55, so your risk of having a heart attack will increase as you get older.

Why?

Atherosclerosis (the narrowing and hardening of arteries) takes a long time to develop and people are usually middle-aged or older by the time it is sufficiently advanced to produce symptoms. Meanwhile, the arteries naturally become less elastic as we age as a result of the degenerative changes of ageing, leading to a greater risk of high blood pressure, which is an independent risk factor for heart disease.

Young at heart

Although you cannot turn back the clock eating a healthy diet and taking other steps to live a healthier life may help to slow or delay further age-related changes in the arteries. A healthy lifestyle keeps you young at heart!

To assess your own personal risk of heart disease and create your own Heart Profile, including ideas and offers to improve your heart health, complete Your Heart Health Assessment.