Introduction

Heart disease is the most common serious health problem for all people.

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), there are a number of important risk factors to know about:

• Age. Over 83% of people who die of coronary heart disease are 65 or older. At older ages, women who have heart attacks are more likely than men are to die from them within a few week.
  
  
• Sex. Heart disease is the leading cause of death among men and women in the United States.  However, men have a greater risk of heart attack than women do, and they have attacks earlier in life.
  
  
• Family history. Children of parents with heart disease are more likely to develop it themselves.
  
  
• Race. African Americans have more severe high blood pressure than Whites and a higher risk of heart disease. Heart disease risk is also higher among Mexican Americans, American Indians, native Hawaiians and some Asian Americans. This is partly due to higher rates of obesity and diabetes.
  
• Smoking. Smokers are two to four times more likely to have heart disease than nonsmokers. It is also known that exposure to other people's smoke increases the risk of heart disease even for nonsmokers.
  
  
• High blood cholesterol. As blood cholesterol rises, so does risk of heart disease.  When other risk factors are present, such as high blood pressure and tobacco smoke, this risk increases even more.
  
  
• High blood pressure. High blood pressure increases the heart's workload, causing the heart to thicken and become stiffer.
  
  
• Physical inactivity.  An inactive lifestyle is a risk factor for heart disease. Regular exercise can help prevent heart and blood vessel disease.
  
  
• Being severely overweight (obesity). People who have excess body fat — especially if a lot of it is at the waist — are more likely to develop heart disease and stroke even if they have no other risk factors. People with obesity who lose just 10 pounds can lower their risk of heart disease.
  
  
• Diabetes. Diabetes seriously increases the risk of developing heart disease.
  

People with HIV should also be careful.  Certain HIV medications can cause high blood cholesterol and diabetes, which can increase the risk of heart disease. More information about this is available on AIDSmeds.com.

The Bad

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.

The Good

While we can’t do much about some of the heart disease risk factors – such as age, sex, family history, and race – it is possible to reduce many of the most significant risks.  The risk of heart disease can greatly be reduced by quitting smoking, exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy diet and monitoring your risk of heart disease by talking to your medical provider and getting regular blood tests.

Why it’s LGBT

Heart health is important for all people, including LGBTs.  Smoking and obesity are two of the most common risk factors for heart disease among lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals.  Additionally, HIV infection and HIV drug medications may also increase risk for heart disease.

What to Do

Work with your healthcare provider to identify heart disease risk factors.  Talk with your healthcare provider about your blood pressure, blood cholesterol levels, diabetes risk, diet, and exercise.

Tools

The following procedures or tests are recommended to help you and your healthcare provider identify problems before they cause heart damage: 

• Regularly monitor your blood pressure.
  
  
• Regularly monitor the amount of glucose (sugar) in your blood.  This is an important test for diabetes.
  
  
• Check your cholesterol levels. This includes total cholesterol, the amount of "bad" LDL cholesterol, and the amount of "good" HDL cholesterol. Click here to learn more about cholesterol and the ways it can be managed.
  
  
• For the most accurate blood tests, ask your doctor about “fasting” – having blood drawn first thing in the morning, before eating or drinking anything. 
  
  
• Maintain a healthy diet and manage your weight. Click here to calculate your body mass index (BMI), a useful measure of body fat, based on your height and weight. 
  
  
• If you smoke, decide that you want to quit and set a quit date.  Click here to read the Q spot’s smoking information page and to learn more about ways to quit.