7 indicators of future heart attacks and strokes

Just because you are living longer doesn't mean that you are destined to suffer from diseases and conditions of aging.  Certain things can be done to help prevent ailments such as heart attacks and strokes. The following seven indicators will tell you how to make changes and achieve a healthier lifestyle.

For one component of the "third age" of health is an unprecedented understanding of the underlying causes of good health. Fifteen years ago, issues like chronic inflammation weren't understood.

Today, we know that a perpetually on-attack immune system is a major cause of age-related disease. We also didn't know the subtleties of "good" cholesterol or the complex chemistry changes in your body that is caused by stress and relaxation or the power of micronutrients in our food to fight age-related disease and decline.With all this new understanding, we are on the verge of achieving not just long life, but long health. But — and this is a major but — it is up to you. Doctors and the health-care system cannot deliver long health; it doesn't come in a pill. Only you can make it happen.

Forgive this auto analogy, but it makes the point well: What makes one car break down at 75,000 miles for one owner, and the same model of car last 150,000 miles for a different owner? That's easy: regular maintenance, smart usage, and constant loving care by the second owner. It's no different for your body.

Current science points to the following closely connected health conditions as primary causes or indicators of future heart attacks and strokes.

Compare a raging river to a gently flowing river. High blood pressure creates the former in your arteries; that makes dislodging a clot far more likely.

These are a type of fat cell found in your bloodstream. They have an important function, but an excess amount acts much like bad cholesterol.

Excessive amounts of "bad" LDL cholesterol in your bloodstream provide the foundation for plaque to build up on artery walls. A shortage of "good" HDL cholesterol is equally problematic.

This is an immune-system chemical that is created in response to inflammation. An excess amount in your bloodstream appears to contribute to the creation of plaque.

Insulin signals each cell of your body to absorb fuel (in the form of blood sugar). When cells reject insulin, it builds up in the bloodstream, causing a chain reaction of unhealthy events for your arteries.

This is an amino acid created when your body breaks down proteins in your diet. High levels in your bloodstream have proven to be a remarkably good predictor of future heart disease.

New research reveals that an excess of visceral fat around your internal organs greatly increases your chances of heart disease. Interestingly, hip, thigh, and butt fat are more benign when it comes to your heart; a pot belly or wide waist is the real danger signal.