Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the United States and other industrialized countries. Its effects are far-reaching. When considering the risk factors of this, it is important to note that some are controllable while others are not. The more factors affect you, the greater your chances are of developing heart disease. However, with heart-healthy decisions, many factors can be controlled.

Unchangeable factors include:

Gender: men have a greater risk of heart disease than women. As women age their risk increases, but never surpasses that of men.

Increasing Age: like many things, as we age, our heart begins to tire out. 83% of deaths of people older than 65 are related to the heart. Older couples should be especially mindful of making healthy lifestyle choices like being active and eating light, to care for other another's physical heart.

Heredity and ethnicity: if heart disease runs in your family, you are considered at risk. Heart disease risk is also higher among African Americans, Mexican Americans, American Indians, native Hawaiians and some Asian Americans.

However, being considered at-risk only means that one should especially strive to control the risk factors of heart disease that are within their control. It is not a death-sentence, nor an excuse. Factors controllable with medicine and healthy lifestyles are high blood cholesterol and high blood pressure. Other controllable factors are:

Lack of physical exercise and overweight/obesity:

Smoking: cigarette smoking (and to a lesser degree, smoking cigars) increases a person's risk at developing coronary heart disease; sometimes up to 4 times that of a non-smoker. Second hand smoke also can increase risk.

Stress: excessive stress can also be a risk-factor because stress induces certain unhealthy choices like over-eating and chain smoking.

Drinking excessively: too much alcohol consumption can raise blood pressure, cause heart failure and lead to stroke. It also plays a part in depressive tendencies, which can also lead to over-eating and high triglycerides.

Diabetes: diabetics should work with a physician to control their condition as diabetes can seriously increase one's risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

Knowing which risk factors of heart disease run in your family and which are within your control will help calm your fears, and propel you in your quest for a healthy heart and a longer life.