You have a greater risk if you have a close family member who had heart disease at an early age. Some Asian groups, such as East Asians, have lower rates, but South Asians have higher rates. African Americans are more likely than whites to have heart disease, while Hispanic Americans are less likely to have it. Certain groups have higher risks than others. For example, estrogen provides women some protection against heart disease, but diabetes raises the risk of heart disease more in women than in men. Some risk factors may affect heart disease risk differently in women than in men. Men age 45 and older and women age 55 and older have a greater risk.
Your risk of heart disease increases as you get older. What are the heart disease risk factors that I cannot change? Learning about them can lower your risk of heart disease. Some of them you cannot control, but there are many that you can control. There are many things that can raise your risk for heart disease. Heart disease is the leading cause of the death in the United States.
