Your heart health risks

Everyone should be aware of the risk factors for heart disease. While diet, exercise and giving up smoking are part of the story, you also need to watch out for diabetes and other risk factors for heart disease.

If you have a Pakistani background, you are more at risk of Type 2 diabetes than most of the UK population.

Prevent and manage diabetes

You can greatly reduce your risk of getting diabetes by eating healthily, staying a healthy weight and body shape, and doing regular physical activity.

If you do have diabetes, it’s very important to make sure that you control your blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol.

Download our booklet about Diabetes and how it affects your heart  

Cholesterol

Download our booklet about Cholesterol and what you can do about it

Family risk

If your father, mother, brother or sister developed cardiovascular disease at a young age (under 65 for women or under 55 for men), you may be at an increased risk of developing it.

There's no single gene that increases your risk of getting heart disease. It's likely that several genes are responsible, and BHF-funded scientists are discovering more about how genes work all the time.

Family habits can affect you too – so make sure you are passing healthy habits onto your family members. You can’t change your family's background or what has happened to them, but you can choose your lifestyle which could affect your health.

This information does not replace the advice that your doctor or nurse may give you, but we hope it will provide you with additional information and support.