Too often, people become experts in coronary heart disease only after it has seriously affected their lives. Perhaps if more people knew that it is the number one killer of both men and women in the United States, they would take the time to become educated about lowering their risks.

According to the American Heart Association, there are several factors that increase the risk of coronary heart disease and heart attack. Major risk factors are those that greatly increase the risk of heart and blood vessel (cardiovascular) disease. Other factors are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, but their importance and prevalence haven't yet been exactly determined. They're called contributing risk factors. Consider these facts:

• Coronary heart disease is America's number one killer. Stroke is number three and a leading cause of serious disability. That's why it's so important to reduce your risk factors, know the warning signs, and respond quickly and properly if warning signs occur.
• More than 83 percent 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 to die from them within a few weeks.
• Men have a greater risk of heart attack than women do, and they tend to have attacks earlier in life.
• About 61 million Americans (or around one-fourth of the population) have some form of cardiovascular disease, accounting for nearly six million hospitalizations each year.
• A recent report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services states that the cost of heart disease and stroke in the United States is projected to exceed $394 billion: $242 billion for health care expenditures and $152 billion for lost productivity from death and disability.
• Much of the burden of heart disease and stroke could be lifted by reducing major risk factors: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, tobacco use, inactivity and poor nutrition.
• Around 10 million Americans are disabled due to stroke and heart disease.
• Children of parents with heart disease are more likely to develop it themselves.

You may be wondering what you can do to keep yourself from becoming a statistic. You can modify, treat and control some of these risk factors by making healthier choices. Some ways to do this include quitting smoking, keeping your cholesterol at a safe and healthy level, watching your blood pressure, getting more physical activity, and watching your overall weight.

Additional Resources:

UPSer's and their spouses can take a health assessment that offers an in-depth assessment of your lifestyle and factors that impact your health status. This will give you an opportunity to see your health in a big picture. Doing so can help you prioritize the kinds of health changes you may need to consider, and which health changes you may be ready and confident to make.

Click here for more information on the Health Assessment.

Sources: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2005 Report: Preventing Chronic Diseases: Investing Wisely in Health;
American Heart Association, 2004, Risk Factors and Coronary Heart Disease; US Department of Labor, 2004.