Cardiovascular disease
Overview
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a general term for conditions affecting the heart or blood vessels.
Causes
The exact cause of CVD isn't clear, but there are lots of things that can increase your risk of getting it. These are called "risk factors". The more risk factors you have, the greater your chances of developing CVD. If you're over 40, you'll be invited by your GP for anNHS Health Checkevery 5 years. Part of this check involves assessing your individual CVD risk and advising you how to reduce it if necessary. Other factors that affect your risk of developing CVD include: age – CVD is most common in people over 50 and your risk of developing it increases as you get oldergender – men are more likely to develop CVD at an earlier age than womendiet – an unhealthy diet can lead to high cholesterol and high blood pressurealcohol – excessivealcoholconsumption can also increase your cholesterol and blood pressure levels, and contribute to weight gain
Treatment
If you have a particularly high risk of developing CVD due to high blood cholesterol, your GP may recommend taking medicines calledstatinsto reduce your risk.
Prevention
A healthy lifestyle can lower your risk of CVD. If you already have CVD, staying as healthy as possible can reduce the chances of it getting worse.