In: Biology
Many of us are predisposed to Cardiovascular Diseases (CVD) due to reasons beyond our control. Other risk factors are due to our behavior. Comment.
Answer:
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the number ONE cause of death worldwide. It translates to millions of deaths annually and yet we hardly blink an eyelid on this date. It has been kind of included in the natural causes of death. CVDs are a group of disorders of heart, blood vessels and include Coronary Heart Disease (CHD), Cerebrovascular disease and rheumatic heart disease and more.
Of all the risk factors that lead to CVDs about 35-40% are the inherited or genetic risk factors. Researchers have identified about 11 chromosome segments responsible for genetic predisposition to CVDs including the risk of developing arteriosclerosis. Add to this many more genes being identified for development of impairment of sugar metabolism - Diabetes, mellitis or for lipid metabolism - dyslipidemia etc.
Family medical history is the first link in the list of predisposition to CVDs. But we must remember that having predisposition only increases the chance of such an even happening; it is definitely not the cause of the event. Similarly, a family history free from cardiovascular events does not guarantee that such an will not occur!!
This puts a big onus on us because we know that predisposing factors play a small role and the big role is given to us - our habits, lifestyles and other environmental factors that will become the cause of actually manifesting CVDs in our life and bear all the consequences that come along with such events including death.
These behavioural factors that are very much in our control and are result of our own making include:
The list is including these habits but is not just limited to these and is an exhaustive list we carry around.