Find out if you are at risk for heart disease

Each year, heart disease is taking toll of millions of people across the globe. While scientists are on a constant attempt to introduce advance methods in treating ailments of the heart, attempts are also being made to identify indications in the body that tell you whether you are at a risk for heart disease or not. Those found to be at a risk for heart disease can take precautions to avoid heart diseases.

The first step in preventing heart disease is to identify whether you are at risk for heart disease or not. Many theories have been put forward and many methods have been listed to identify whether you are at risk for heart disease. Some methods include a series of simple steps and others are so complicated that a thorough investigation of your DNA mapping needs to be done. While some methods are used to measure the risk are just vague and seem like guess work, some researchers take it up seriously and device appropriate strategies to determine certain traits in a person that call for action to prevent heart diseases.

Most studies consider BMI (Body Mass Index) as an indicator for heart disease . risks. But, a study conducted by the American College of Cardiology suggests that BMI alone is not enough to judge a person’s risk for heart disease.

Researches involved with this study opine that the waist to hip ratio is the best indicator for general health and heart disease. So, even though your BMI falls in the healthy range, your waist-hip ratio can tell whether you have a healthy heart or not. Conversely, though your BMI tells that you are at risk for heart disease, your waist-hip ratio may actually have some good news for you about your heart health.

Most studies relate body weight to heart health. But every person who is overweight on the BMI scale need not have the risk for heart attack. Through the findings got from the study, researchers state that BMI does not identify patients who have fat deposits around the waist. They can merely determine the fat percentage of the entire body. This calculation is not enough to determine risk of heart disease in the person.

This study is a good reference for people who want to know if they have a risk for heart disease. Don’t let the BMI score mislead you in deciding that you are at risk for heart ailments in future. Make other tests in order to confirm your risk for heart disease before running into a panic.