Overweight as a cause of coronary heart disease
Overweight is also an important risk factor is the development of coronary heart disease. Overweight is also a risk factor for numerous other diseases such as diabetes mellitus or high blood pressure. Patients who already suffer from coronary heart disease should aim for a normal weight through a change in diet and regular moderate physical activity. But also (still) healthy patients suffering from overweight should try to lose weight early and preventatively to avoid the numerous, sometimes severe, secondary diseases associated with overweight.
Stress as a cause of coronary heart disease
Chronic stress is not healthy for the body. It is suspected of being a risk factor for numerous physical and mental illnesses. And indeed, stress increases the risk of developing coronary heart disease.
There is even a relatively clear dose-response relationship. The more stress, the higher the risk of developing coronary heart disease. Overall, long-term high stress leads to a moderate increase in the risk of coronary heart disease.
However, there is not only this direct interaction between stress and heart disease. A large study investigating the influence of stress on the development of coronary heart disease found that stressed people eat less healthy, are less physically active and are more prone to obesity. Obesity itself is an independent risk factor for the development of coronary heart disease.
Male sex as a cause of coronary heart disease
Men are about 1.5 to 2 times more likely to suffer from coronary heart disease than women. However, the incidence of coronary heart disease in women increases after menopause, so hormonal factors are most likely to be the reason for the higher incidence of coronary heart disease in men. However, if certain risk factors are present, the risk of women developing coronary heart disease can also increase significantly. For example, one study showed that women with diabetes mellitus are twice as likely to develop coronary artery disease as men with diabetes. The male sex is therefore a genetic and therefore unchangeable risk factor for the development of coronary heart disease.
