If we list out the top ten causes of death in males, heart stroke would come third. Another bad news is that men are at higher risk of heart attack than women. (Talk of gender inequality!)

The Department of Health and Human Services states that one in three men develops some or the other cardiovascular disease till he reaches 60 years of age.

Can do you anything about heart disease? Yes! Although certain risk factors are genetic, most of the causes of heart disorders erupt from an unhealthy lifestyle. Change it and you can change your life for the better!

4 Biggest Factors Of Heart Disease

UNHEALTHY DIET – love that steak? Well, it’s teeming with saturated fats that can block your arteries! There was a time when men ate large portions of meat without worrying about cholesterol. They used to perform strenuous physical work in factories and fields; hence, their body actually needed such food. Today, millions of men sit comfortably in air-conditioned offices doing no physical work at all. The fat gets no chance to burn and simply keeps building up in the body.

In addition to this, men skip breakfast in their rush to reach office. The result? They gobble huge lunches and dinners containing high fat foods – a direct invitation to heart attack!

NO EXERCISE – a sedentary lifestyle is bad for your heart. Women have an advantage here. They do most of the housework, which burns their fat. Well, guys, we aren’t telling you to wash dishes, but you must indulge in some form of physical exercise. Walking, swimming, playing basketball, jogging, aerobics, and other such activities are good for the heart.

SHORT TEMPER – blowing off your lid at every trivial issue can risk your life. Sudden burst of emotions raises the blood pressure, adrenalin levels, and heart rate. Anger is definitely destructive.

SMOKING – smoking cigarettes increases your risk of coronary heart disease. Your blood pressure increases, your workout ability decreases, and there’s a higher chance for blood clotting. Smoking also raises LDL (bad) cholesterol level and reduces HDL (good) cholesterol level. Males who smoke are at a greater risk of embolic strokes than females. (In an embolic stroke, a clot of blood passes from the heart to some other part of the body like the brain or neck and clogs the blood vessel.)

Lastly, men usually refrain from visiting the doctor. Call it male ego or whatever, but it’s not a good thing when it comes to matters of the heart.