Question

in personal health:

Review controllable and uncontrollable risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Of the uncontrollable factors, which do you have? Which would you be willing to change - beginning today? Discuss how you can change your lifestyle now and in your future to reduce your risk for cardiovascular disease.

Answer 1

The risk factors associated with any disease that can be controlled or their chances of exhibiting the effect on the individual can be reduced by change in behaviour are called as “Controllable risk factors”. The controllable risk factors assicated with cardiovascular disease are as following:

a) Use of tobacco products: The smoke produced by use of tobacco products has CO gas which in turn reduces the oxygen carrying capacity of blood. Tobacco products also cause lung cancer, ulcer etc.

b) Level of blood cholesterol and blood pressure: The higher cholesterol level caused by excessive intake of animal fat leads to narrowing of ateries.

c) Physical activity: Lack of physical activity makes the person more prone to the cardiovascular disease while the person under regular exercise have better conditioned heart and skeletal muscles.

d) Blood sugar level: Higher blood sugar level (caused by reduced insulin production in diabetic persons) leads to atherosclerosis and adversely affects the fucntinoning of cardiovascular system.

e)Obesity and stress level: Obesity and higher stress level put extra pressure on heart muscles.

On the other hand, the risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease which can not be altered by behavioural modification are called as “uncontrollable risk factors”. The uncontrollable risk factors for heart disease are

a) Age: Risk of cardiovascular dieases increases with increasing age and after menopause in women.

b) Gender: Normally women have less chances of heart diseases before onset of menopause.

c) Heredity: Family history of heart dieases increases the risk of its occurance in the individual.

The controlled factors that can be worked out from the moment is “physical activity” owing to its multi facet effects.

a) Regular physical activity conditions the heart and skeletal muscles and thereby increases the efficiency of these muscles.

b) Regular physical acivity keeps a check on blood cholesterol level even if the person has habit of intermittents meals. It also regulate obesity and ensure proper functioning of different bodily systems

c) To some extent, physical activity can combat the hormonal changes brought about by menopause in women.

Hence, a regular routine of some physical activity ensure to keep a check on many controllable risk factors and exert multidimensional effect on checking the risk of heart diseases.