Risk factors are the underlying causes of heart disease and stroke events. Risk factors can promote the onset of atherosclerosis in healthy individuals and accelerate the progression of disease in those already diagnosed with CVD. Maintaining good health can prevent this onset and/or progression.

 

There are two keys to the reduction of CVD in North Carolina: prevention of risk factors and management of risk factors. Additionally, managing diseases once they are established is an increasing area of focus for the HDSP Program.

 

Shifting the risk factor profile of the population has already had a major effect. Over half of the decline in CVD deaths during the past 20 years is attributed to declining cholesterol levels and prevalence rates of smoking and high blood pressure.

 

While therapeutic advances also contribute to declining CVD death rates, changing the risk factor profile of North Carolina will have the greatest impact in reducing premature CVD. We need to change the lifestyle factors that contribute to the development and progression of disease.

 

A large proportion of North Carolinians have risk factors for CVD*. Among adults:

 * Reference: BRFSS 2004 and 2006