Imagine trying to squeeze water through a hose that is blocked with risk factors such as dirt and grime. You can’t get the water to flow properly and the pressure is now building inside the hose. Something is going to give! Now imagine your artery is the hose and high cholesterol levels and obesity are the dirt and grime risk factors. If you are a male and you are over the age of 40, or if you are a female and over the age of 55 and experienced menopause, your risk factors for Coronary heart disease, CHD, have probably increased and you may not even be aware of it. Coronary heart disease is also referred to as coronary artery disease and according to the American Heart Association, it is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States. So what is coronary heart disease? It is the narrowing of the blood vessels supplying oxygen and blood flow going to the heart. As the narrowing increases, pressure builds and the blood flow is lessened putting you at risk for problems.

Understanding the risk factors will help you become aware if you are more likely to develop heart disease. The more risk factors you have, the more elevated your chances are for CHD. The most common risk factors are bad cholesterol levels, obesity and diabetes, smoking and excessive drinking, physical inactivity, high stress levels, and a family history of heart disease.

Age is another risk factor as mentioned previously. Some of these factors are controllable like cholesterol levels or bad habits. Obviously, you naturally get older and you didn’t have any influence over your parents or grandparents’ health. However, the history of their health is a valuable tool for you to have as a preventative measure.

Another internal factor is an elevated CRP (C-Reactive Protein). This is a protein produced by our immune systems in response to invaders in our body. These proteins attack the invaders, and such an attack can often lead to inflammation. CRP level shows inflammation occurring in our arteries. An elevated CRP might as well lead to developing a cardiovascular disease.

Although you need cholesterol for your body to function properly, an abundance of this fat-like, waxy substance can turn into plaque and this builds up in your bloodstream in the form of blockages. Like cholesterol, triglycerides are necessary for the body in normal fat levels. However, an excess of this fat can also lead to other risk factors like obesity and diabetes. Of the risk factors, both high cholesterol and high triglycerides are controllable.

By eliminating legitimate risk factors, you lower the statistics of heart related incidents. Consult with your physician to determine a program to help you quit smoking or drinking and use low cholesterol diet if necessary. In addition, start exercising to manage your weight, prevent obesity and diabetes risk factors and this will also help to lower your stress level.

Your doctor may recommend prescription medicine to lower the bad LDL cholesterol, but you may also want to consider taking natural supplements to give you the benefits you desire. One of these supplement solutions is Cinnechol, a natural dietary supplement that consists of 15 natural compounds clinically proven to provide cardiovascular benefits. Cinnechol is designed to lower cholesterol and triglycerides, promote increased circulation, and provide antioxidant properties.