10 Heart Risks You Can't Ignore at Any Age

Young people may feel invincible when it comes to their heart health , but people tend to develop unhealthy habits that shape their future health in their younger years. It's never too early to learn about heart risks and how to prevent them.

The majority (9 of 10) Americans 18 to 24 years old think they're living a healthy lifestyle, according to a survey from the American Stroke Association. Yet data about their eating, drinking, and fitness habits suggest otherwise. That means a good number of young people could be at risk for developing heart disease or a having a stroke but don't even know it.

Here are 10 heart disease risk factors you should know about — and how to avoid them, whether you're young or not-so-young.

Fast Food

You may like fast food because it's cheap and easy to find. But because of fast food's high salt and fat content, you should limit this indulgence to about once a week or less. "If you do go, opt for healthier options, such as salad," says Marc Eisenberg, MD, a cardiologist at ColumbiaDoctors Eastside in New York. "Try to maintain a balanced diet with lots of greens that you make at home."

Alcohol

Excessive alcohol consumption is another heart health no-no for young people. "In spite of many reports of health benefits from wine-drinking among middle-aged or elderly populations, young adults should minimize alcohol intake, which means one drink or less per day," says David H. Hsi, MD, chairman of cardiology at the Deborah Heart and Lung Center in New Jersey. "Binge drinking is especially bad for your heart health."

Sugary Drinks

Nothing contributes directly to obesity quite like high-calorie, sugary sodas or fruit drinks. "Regular soda has a lot of calories and no nutritional value," says Joel T. Hardin MD, director of the division of pediatric cardiology at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago. "Sugary drinks, like some fruit juices and chocolate milk, may contain some nutritional value, but the amount of calories contained in these drinks can still contribute to becoming overweight. Drink these only occasionally, like for special occasions instead of dessert. The best day-to-day drink choices are natural fruit juices, skim milk, and water."

Smoking

Most young people know cigarette smoking causes lung cancer, but that isn't the only adverse health effect of nicotine. "Smoking is one of the worst health habits anyone can possibly have," says Dr. Hsi. "It is strongly associated with cancer and heart attack risk ."

Obesity

Many of the heart disease risk factors mentioned earlier — fast-food consumption, binge drinking, and gulping down sugary drinks — can combine to cause obesity, which leads to heart issues in its own right. "Unfortunately, there is currently an epidemic of childhood obesity in the United States," says Jason S. Freeman, MD, director of interventional cardiology at South Nassau Communities Hospital in Oceanside, N.Y. "This has been shown to increase the risk of diabetes, early atherosclerosis, and cardiovascular disease."

Diabetes

Obesity leads many young people to develop type 2 diabetes. And type 2 diabetes, in turn, is directly tied to increased heart risks. "Diabetes is a disease process that attacks the blood vessels, leading to early-onset cardiovascular disease, including increased risk of strokes and heart attacks," says Dr. Freeman.

Sedentary Lifestyle

Further compounding these issues is the lack of fitness in the lives of many young people, in part because computers, video games, and other forms of electronic entertainment are winning out over old-fashioned play. Having a more active lifestyle is step one in lowering cardiovascular risk. Aim for 30 minutes a day of cardiovascular exercise , such as walking, jogging, swimming, or more energizing activities like spinning or kickboxing.

Drug Abuse

Though the use of alcohol and tobacco is more widespread, the use of illicit drugs that might seem fun at a young age can set up problems down the road. For example, "Cocaine can lead to accelerated coronary artery disease and heart attacks," says Margaret L. Furman, MD, director of preventive cardiology and cardiac rehabilitation at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City.

High Salt Intake

One of the major problems with eating fast food is all the salt that's used to process it. Dr. Hardin says this can further increase your risk for heart health problems down the road, and low-salt options should be substituted. To get started, check out these low-sodium foods that taste great.

Energy Drinks

The recent wave of energy drinks targeting young consumers is also a heart health problem. Not only are these drinks loaded with sugar and calories like their soda counterparts, but they may also contain other stimulants with long-term effects on heart health that are unknown, Hardin says. It's best to stick to whole-fruit juices, skim milk, and water.

Heart disease might sound like a condition that only affects older people, but statistics tell a different story. Set yourself up for a lifetime of heart health by avoiding these bad habits, starting today.