Prevention of atherosclerosis (arteriosclerosis, hardening of the arteries) requires attention to reducing individual risk factors.
Behavioral risk factors
- Diet
- Malnutrition and overeating, e.g., excessive caloric intake and high-fat diet (high intake of saturated fat).
- Micronutrient deficiency (vital substances) – see prevention with micronutrients.
- Consumption of stimulants
- Alcohol (woman: > 40 g/day; man: > 60 g/day) – (hypertriglyceridemia).
- Tobacco (smoking) – smoking is one of the key risk factors for atherosclerosis and, therefore, for all cardiovascular disease
- Physical activity
- Physical inactivity
- Psycho-social situation
- Psychological stress
- Stress
- Sleep duration ≤ 6 hours vs. 7-8 hours of sleep (+27% increased risk of vascular plaque formation)
- Overweight (BMI ≥ 25; obesity).
- Android body fat distribution, that is, abdominal/visceral, truncal, central body fat (apple type) – there is a high waist circumference or waist-to-hip ratio (waist-to-hip ratio); increased abdominal fat has a strong atherogenic effect and promotes inflammatory processes (“inflammatory processes”)When measuring waist circumference according to the International Diabetes Federation guideline (IDF, 2005), the following standard values apply:
- Men < 94 cm
- Women < 80 cm
The German Obesity Society published somewhat more moderate figures for waist circumference in 2006: < 102 cm for men and < 88 cm for women.
Environmental pollution – intoxications (poisonings).
- Air pollutants: particulate matter
