Cardiac Risk Factor Profile – What Does It Mean?

You may have heard the term “cardiac risk factor profile” and wondered; what does it mean?
Studies have shown that people who have the following medical conditions are more likely to develop vascular disease.

These medical conditions are considered cardiac risk factors:

• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• Elevated lipids (hyperlipidemia)
• Diabetes Mellitus (Types 1 and 2), or glucose intolerance
• Smoking
• Family history of premature vascular disease
• Increasing age
• Overweight or obese build

If cardiac risk factors are not well controlled, progression of atherosclerosis (ongoing deposition of a fatty like substance on the walls of the arteries) may occur over time, resulting in narrowing of the artery, reduced blood flow, and development of one or more of the vascular conditions such as:

Maintaining good health consists of:

• Being physically active
• Eating a healthy diet
• Maintaining a normal weight for height
• Having normal blood pressure, blood glucose and cholesterol
• Not smoking

Many of these factors can be assessed by questions on the application, the results of the paramedical exam and the laboratory tests done on blood and urine. All these cardiac risk factors are taken into consideration when underwriting an applicant.