The “uncontrollable” risk factors are: Age (the risk increases with age) Gender (men develop CAD 10 years earlier than women)…The “controllable” risk factors are:

Foods That Are Bad for Your Heart

• Sugar, Salt, Fat. Over time, high amounts of salt, sugar, saturated fat, and refined carbs raise your risk for a heart attack or stroke.
• Bacon.
• Red Meat.
• Soda.
• Baked Goods.
• Processed Meats.
• White Rice, Bread, and Pasta.
• Pizza.

The three categories of risk factors are detailed here:

• Increasing Age. The majority of people who die of coronary heart disease are 65 or older.
• Male gender.
• Heredity (including race)
• Tobacco smoke.
• High blood cholesterol.
• High blood pressure.
• Physical inactivity.
• Obesity and being overweight.

• Smoking.
• High blood pressure.
• High blood cholesterol.
• High blood sugar (diabetes)
• Obesity and overweight.
• Obesity and Overweight.
• Physical inactivity.
• Stress.

Statins help lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, also known as “bad” cholesterol, in the blood. They draw cholesterol out of plaque and stabilize plaque, Blaha says.

Various drugs can be used to treat coronary artery disease, including:

• Cholesterol-modifying medications.
• Aspirin.
• Beta blockers.
• Calcium channel blockers.
• Ranolazine.
• Nitroglycerin.
• Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs).

Can atherosclerosis be reversed or slowed down? The disease is progressive, and, unfortunately, current treatments can’t melt it away. However, there are things that can be done to slow its development and dramatically reduce the chances of a heart attack or stroke.

A long-term study including more than 3,000 participants made an unexpected find: white men who spend more than 7 hours exercising each week are most at risk of developing coronary artery calcification.