Heart disease tends to run in families with a history of it. Even though the death rate for women is increasing, men have a greater risk for heart attack earlier in life. As we get older, the risk increases for women. Four out of five people who die of heart attack are age 65 or older. Major risk factors you can change include cigarette and tobacco smoking, obesity, high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, and physical inactivity.
Smokers have twice the risk for heart attack as nonsmokers.
Smokers who have a heart attack are more likely than nonsmokers to die and to die suddenly. Constant exposure to second-hand smoke increases the risk for heart attack. On the other hand, blood cholesterol levels below 200 milligrams in middle-aged adults seem to indicate a low risk of disease. The risk of a heart attack rises as cholesterol levels rise. This risk is even higher when other risks are present, such as high blood pressure and smoking.