The heart

If your body is a car, then the heart is the engine. Men are more likely to die of heart trouble than women. Roughly 40 percent of men will die from cardiovascular disease, which includes atherosclerosis, heart attack, heart failure, angina, stroke and other conditions.

Symptoms

Many heart problems have similar symptoms. For example, the symptoms of angina are pain or discomfort in the chest - and possibly in the neck, lower jaw, arm, or between the shoulder blades.

The same symptoms are typical of a heart attack. However, heart failure often appears as breathlessness, muscle fatigue, or swelling of the ankles. Numbness or tingling of arms and legs are also common symptoms that the heart is struggling. Many people with heart conditions don't recognise the symptoms or dismiss them as something else.

Causes and risk factors

Some risk factors you can fix and some you can't. Age, sex, ethnicity, and family history are things you can't change. But five common causes of heart disease are things you can change - diet, smoking, alcohol, stress, and a sedentary lifestyle. These all contribute to high cholesterol, a leading cause of heart disease. A family history of heart disease increases risk, as do other medical conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes.

Preventive maintenance

Things you can do to reduce your risk of heart disease include eating a well-balanced diet, exercising regularly, and avoiding excessive alcohol consumption. Smoking should be avoided too. Good management of other health problems such as diabetes and high blood pressure will also help. These measures will help maintain a healthy weight, reduce cholesterol, and be of overall benefit to your heart.

Check-ups

Men should have a cardiovascular risk assessment from the age of 45. The assessment will be given by your GP or practice nurse. It measures cholesterol and blood pressure as well as assessing risk factors like diabetes, smoking, and family history.

Men with high risk factors should have a risk assessment from the age of 35. With this information, doctors can assess the risk of heart attack and advise medication and lifestyle changes.

Age of onset

Most common in older men.