Drugs can control symptoms, but in severe cases or after a heart attack, surgery may be the only option. Some risk factors you can change and improve upon, but some you cannot. Therefore it is vital that you make all the possible changes to your lifestyle to reduce as many risk factors as possible.

Two of the biggest causes of death in the Western world are heart disease and atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis clogs up the hearts arteries and is then known as coronary artery disease or heart disease. Heart disease may develop slowly and the first symptom may be a heart attack.

When one or both coronary arteries get blocked by deposits of atheroma, the tissue beyond that blockage no longer receive a healthy blood supply and results in the heart muscle dying due to oxygen starvation. The risk factors for heart disease are the same as those for atherosclerosis. In order to predict your risk factor your doctor will probably ask you questions about your state of health, your exercise routine, check your blood pressure and smoking habits. Some risk factors you can change and improve upon, but some you cannot. Therefore it is vital that you make all the possible changes to your lifestyle to reduce as many risk factors as possible.

The risk factors that you cannot change are: