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Ciertas características, trastornos o hábitos pueden elevar el riesgo de tener la enfermedad. Entre los principales factores de riesgo se encuentran los niveles poco saludables de colesterol en la sangre, presión arterial alta, fumar, resistencia a la insulina, diabetes, sobrepeso, falta de actividad física, una alimentación poco saludable, edad avanzada y antecedentes familiares de enfermedad coronaria de aparición temprana.

Tomar acción para controlar sus factores de riesgo a través de una alimentación saludable para el corazón, actividad física, dejar de fumar y control del peso puede ayudar a prevenir o retrasar la aterosclerosis y las enfermedades relacionadas con ella.

Un ataque cardíaco ocurre cuando se obstruye de repente el flujo de sangre rica en oxígeno que llega a una parte del músculo cardíaco y el corazón no puede obtener oxígeno. La mayoría de los ataques cardíacos se presentan a consecuencia de la enfermedad coronaria. Una causa menos común del ataque cardíaco es un espasmo intenso (contracción) de una arteria coronaria.

Your doctor will diagnose metabolic syndrome based on the results of a physical exam and blood tests. You must have at least three of the five metabolic risk factors—a large waistline, a high triglyceride level, a low HDL cholesterol level, high blood pressure, and high fasting blood sugar—to be diagnosed with metabolic syndrome.

Your doctor will diagnose peripheral artery disease based on your medical and family histories, a physical exam, and results from one or more tests: ankle-brachial index, Doppler ultrasound, treadmill test, magnetic resonance angiogram (MRA), arteriogram, and blood tests.

Age, race, gender, certain medical conditions—high blood pressure, diabetes, brain aneurysms, and heart diseases—smoking, and family history can raise your risk for a stroke.

Ventricular fibrillation, a type of arrhythmia, causes most sudden cardiac arrests. Other problems with the heart's electrical system, including diseases or conditions that can cause the electrical problems—such as coronary heart disease, physical stress, certain inherited disorders, and structural changes in the heart—also can lead to sudden cardiac arrest.

Sudden cardiac arrest is an emergency. A person having sudden cardiac arrest needs to be treated with a defibrillator to send an electric shock to the heart right away to restore normal heart rhythm. Use of automated external defibrillators and CPR can be performed by bystanders. If you survive sudden cardiac arrest, you’ll likely be admitted to the hospital for ongoing care and treatment.

Carotid artery disease seems to start when damage occurs to the inner layers of the carotid arteries. The buildup of plaque or blood clots can severely narrow or block the carotid arteries, which limits the flow of oxygen-rich blood to your brain.

Certain risk factors make it more likely that you'll develop coronary heart disease and have a heart attack. Risk factors you can control include smoking, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, overweight and obesity, unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity, and high blood sugar due to insulin resistance or diabetes. Risk factors you can’t control include age, family history of early heart disease, and preeclampsia.