In this article

What is CHD? What are the symptoms of CHD? Other CHD symptoms

Heart attack? What causes CHD?

Other heart diseases Who's at risk?

Scientists have yet to unravel all of the causes of heart disease. However, certain risk factors can increase your likelihood of developing it. You can’t do much about some of them, such as your age, gender or ethnic group, but risk factors you do have some control over include what you eat, whether you smoke, and the amount of exercise you take.

Key risk factors include:

Your age

It’s recognised that the risk of developing CHD increases with age. Atherosclerosis takes a long time to develop, and arteries naturally become less elastic as we age, often leading to a greater risk of high blood pressure.

Your gender

Many people think of CHD as a male problem. In fact, it accounts for the death of more women than any other disease.

The female sex hormone oestrogen protects against CHD during a woman’s reproductive years by creating a more favourable balance of blood fats and contributing to the elasticity and health of arteries.

After the menopause - or following a total hysterectomy in which the ovaries and uterus are removed - this natural protection can disappear.

The contraceptive pill increases a woman’s risk of clotting problems, such as thrombosis or a heart attack. Although the risk is still small, it’s considerably greater if you smoke. You should consult your doctor before taking the pill.

Your genes

If you’ve a family history of CHD or factors predisposing to it, such as high cholesterol (familial hyperlipidaemia) or blood pressure, you're more at risk.

Your ethnic background

If you’re black or Asian you’re more at risk of heart disease, although different underlying risk factors are at play for each group. If you’re Asian, you’ve a higher risk of developing diabetes, which is a risk factor. If you’re black, you’re more at risk of high blood pressure.

Diabetes

If you have diabetes you’re three times more likely to develop CHD. You’re also more likely to have silent ischaemia (painless angina or a heart attack), because diabetes can affect the nerves which send pain messages. This is especially dangerous because as the person doesn’t receive any warning that they have problems, they don’t seek help which may prevent further damage.