Many men are at high risk of developing heart disease. The AHA reported in 2013 that only a quarter of men met federal guidelines for physical activity in 2011. They also estimated that 72.9 percent of U.S. men age 20 and older are overweight or obese. And about 20 percent of men smoke, which can cause the blood vessels to narrow. Narrowed blood vessels are a precursor to certain types of heart disease.
Other risk factors include:
- a diet high in saturated fat
- alcohol abuse or excessive drinking
- high cholesterol
- diabetes
- hypertension (high blood pressure)
- According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Trusted Source, nearly half of all Americans — both men and women — have three or more risk factors for heart disease.
The first sign of heart disease is often a heart attack or other serious event. But, there are a few important signs that can help you recognize problems before they come to a head.
In the early stages, symptoms that seem like mere annoyances may come and go. For example, you may have heart arrhythmias, which can cause:
- angina (chest pain)
- shortness of breath
- changes in your extremities, such as pain, swelling, tingling, numbness, coldness, and weakness
- extreme fatigue
- irregular heartbeat
These symptoms can be signs that your blood vessels have narrowed. This narrowing, which can be caused by plaque buildup, makes it more difficult for your heart to circulate oxygenated blood throughout your body.
difficulty catching your breath after moderate physical exertion, like walking up a flight of stairs
a sense of discomfort or squeezing in your chest that lasts for 30 minutes to a few hours
unexplained pain in your upper torso, neck, and jaw
a heartbeat that is faster, slower, or more irregular than usual
dizziness or fainting
Heart disease that involves your blood vessels is often signaled by:
In addition to the above symptoms, heart disease caused by an infection of the heart can include dry cough, fever, and skin rashes.
A cluster of risk factors may also signal impending heart disease. For example, your risk of heart disease significantly increases if you have diabetes and high blood pressure.
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