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Heart disease is a leading cause of death for people across the world, and it is a disease that affects more people than all cancer cases. While anyone can develop this disease, your chances are much higher if you are living with certain types of health conditions and are not treating them. Here are three of the top health conditions that will increase your risks of developing heart disease if you fail to treat them.

Diabetes

People with diabetes must find ways to control their blood-glucose levels. If they don't, there will be too much sugar in the person's body, and this can lead to heart disease. The elevated levels of blood-glucose in your blood can damage nerves and blood vessels. The damage caused by this is enough to affect the way your heart works. Over time, you may end up with some type of heart problem if you are not able to control your diabetes properly.

High cholesterol

Most people that have high cholesterol do not even realize they have it, primarily because it does not have any symptoms in most cases. The problem with having high cholesterol is that it can cause blockages in the arteries. If this happens, the heart will have to work extra hard to do its job, and this added pressure can cause trauma to the heart. The result is an increased risk of developing heart disease and other heart-related problems.

If you are not sure if you have high cholesterol, get it checked. You can do this with a blood test at your doctor's office. A blood test will let you know your overall cholesterol level, as well as the level of good and bad cholesterols in your body. If you have high cholesterol, you may need to take medication or change certain parts of your lifestyle.

High blood pressure

One other common health problem that can lead to heart disease is high blood pressure. Controlling your blood pressure is easy to do with medication, but getting medication will require getting diagnosed with high blood pressure. If you do not know you have this and are living with it, you will have a greater chance of developing heart disease.

If your doctor just discovered that you have any of these problems, he or she may recommend visiting a doctor that specializes in cardiology. Are you worried about your heart? Contact a business such as PCNY Preventive Cardiology of New York.