Jonathan was 44 when he buried his 63-year-old father who had died from a heart attack, the dad's first and last and only sign of heart disease. Jonathan and his father shared a set of health problems—obesity, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. Wisely, Jonathan went straight from the funeral to the physician for a checkup. He soon learned that he had all of the same cardiovascular risks as his late father. Determined to avoid an early death, Jonathan changed his lifestyle and his life expectancy.

Jonathan's story is just one example of a huge problem in health care. In the United States, heart disease has been the leading cause of death every year since 1900, with the exception of the influenza epidemic of 1918. In 2000, heart disease remained the leading cause of death for both men and women and claimed more lives each year than the next five leading causes of death combined. Tragically, for one third of patients, a fatal heart attack is the first and last sign of their heart disease. The average age at which a person suffers a first heart attack is 66 for men and 70 for women.

These numbers are too high. Fortunately, scientific medicine has made tremendous strides toward identifying the causes of coronary artery disease. The major risk factors for heart disease include increasing age; a family history of premature heart disease; smoking; abnormal blood lipids including total LDL, and HDL cholesterol; high blood pressure; obesity; and diabetes.

Recent scientific understanding of the causes of heart disease has led to the knowledge that it is possible to identify both favorable and unfavorable cardiovascular profiles based on the number of major risk factors a patient presents. Further, a person who has unfavorable risk factors for heart disease can significantly improve his or her cardiovascular profile with medical treatment and by following a heart-healthy lifestyle.

The chart below can help you figure out your risk factors for heart disease. If you are concerned about your cardiovascular profile, contact your physician.

Clearly Jonathan was in a high risk group—one that is all too common in America today. He smoked, was overweight, did minimal exercise, had elevated total cholesterol and low HDL cholesterol, had untreated high blood pressure, and was borderline diabetic.

Changing his lifestyle was imperative! Jonathan quit smoking and lost weight by eating sensibly. He began an exercise program and started taking medication to treat his high cholesterol and hypertension.

By taking these actions, Jonathan reduced his risk of cardiovascular disease from very high to low. Medical science has demonstrated that achieving a favorable cardiovascular profile is possible and makes a high difference in promoting better health.

For more information about cardiovascular risk factors consult the American Heart Association Web site at www.americanheart.org or speak to your personal physician.