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Age and Gender
Risk Increases
An individual's risk of a heart attack gradually increases as he or she gets older. Also, the older a person is, the more likely the heart attack will be fatal. According to the American Heart Association, four out of five people who die of a heart attack are over the age of 65.
Men
Men are at higher risk for heart disease at an earlier age than women. The risk
of a heart attack begins to increase more rapidly when a man reaches age 45. His
risk goes up steadily as he gets older.
Women
A woman's risk of heart attack begins to increase when she reaches age 55. The
hormone estrogen is protective to the heart, so when a woman reaches menopause
and her estrogen production reduces, she is more susceptible to heart disease.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) after menopause is protective against heart
disease. If you are approaching or have reached menopause, discuss HRT with your
physician.
Preventing Heart Disease
Aging is a risk factor for heart disease that cannot be controlled. If you are
getting older, it simply means you need to be even more careful to reduce any
other risk factors for heart disease you may have. Risk factors for heart disease
that can be controlled include smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol
levels, being sedentary, being overweight or obese, and having diabetes.
If you haven't already done so, find out if you have any controllable risk factors for heart disease by taking the Heart Disease quiz.