Cardiovascular risk factors are patient characteristics—modifiable or not—that increase the likelihood of developing a cardiovascular disease.
Cardiovascular disease refers to a group of conditions that affect the heart, the cardiovascular system, or the blood vessels. These include coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and congenital heart defects, among others.
Cardiovascular Risk
Cardiovascular risk is defined as the set of factors or conditions that increase the probability of a person experiencing heart or blood vessel diseases, such as acute myocardial infarction, stroke, or heart failure.
When discussing cardiovascular health risk factors, there are non-modifiable ones, which include gender, age, race, and family history. Among these characteristics, aging increases the risk of developing heart disease.
It is also important to note that men are at higher risk than women due to the protective effect of female hormones. However, once menopause begins, this protection fades, and they are at equal risk.
Meanwhile, modifiable risk factors are daily lifestyle choices a person can change, which can increase or decrease heart risk. These include:
- Cholesterol: One of the main cardiovascular risk factors. High blood cholesterol can accumulate in artery walls, forming plaque that may lead to heart attacks due to atherosclerosis, a condition characterized by the narrowing/blocking of blood flow.
- Diabetes: Poor control of blood glucose levels can increase cardiovascular risk.
- Stress: Stress can raise blood pressure, muscle tension, blood triglycerides, and increase heart palpitations.
- High blood pressure: It puts extra strain on the heart, potentially resulting in arrhythmias or coronary insufficiency.
- Sedentary lifestyle: Lack of physical activity raises the risk of heart attacks due to weight gain and increased cholesterol levels, among other factors.
- Overweight or obesity: Excess weight can raise cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and increase the risk of diabetes, all risk factors for heart disease.
- Smoking: Tobacco smoke has harmful effects on the heart and blood vessels.
How Cardiovascular Risk is Calculated
Cardiovascular risk factors play a crucial role in calculating cardiovascular risk, as they significantly influence the likelihood of developing heart disease.
Various tools can be used, such as the Framingham Risk Score, SCORE, or QRISK. These use risk factors to estimate the likelihood of a cardiovascular event within 10 years.
The more intense the risk factors, the higher the score.
Cardiovascular Risk Stratification
Cardiovascular risk stratification is the process of classifying a patient into different risk levels—from low to very high—based on the presence and intensity of various risk factors.
This classification is conducted using standardized clinical tools and risk calculators that integrate relevant patient data. Clinical findings, such as target organ damage or a family history of early cardiovascular disease, may also be considered.
Stratification guides personalized medical decisions for prevention and treatment. For example, a high-risk individual may benefit from early initiation of medication and intensive lifestyle changes.
While someone at low risk may only require general preventive measures and periodic follow-ups.
At the ABC Medical Center’s Cardiovascular Diagnosis Department, we can provide you with specialized care. Contact us!
Fuentes:
OMS, Texas Heart, Elsevier
