3 heart health risks you may not know about

There's more to heart health than just blood pressure and cholesterol. We'll go over 3 lesser-known risks and what you can do to minimize them.

• This chemical is produced in the liver when some part of your body is inflamed. Consistently high levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) can raise your risk of heart disease even if your cholesterol readings are healthy.
• High CRP is a warning signal that plaque is building up in artery walls.
• So what causes high levels of CRP? Low-grade infections in your body, such as gum disease, and other ongoing irritants that keep your immune system constantly working. This is the "chronic inflammation" problem that is being talked about more and more in health circles.
• To find out your CRP level, ask your doctor for a high-sensitivity CRP test the next time you're getting a blood sugar or cholesterol check. If numbers seem high, get a retest in two weeks. A cold or flu could skew your reading because inflammation levels will be temporarily high.

• For at least one in four adults, inactivity and overeating lead to high insulin levels — your body's attempt to force muscle cells to absorb blood sugar. High insulin levels in your bloodstream can double to quadruple your heart attack and stroke risk.
• New research links metabolic syndrome (unbalanced insulin levels) with a 2.5 times higher risk for clogged arteries.
• Do you have metabolic syndrome? There's no blood check for this dangerous condition, but a series of tiny warning signs reveals your risk. Though each of these warning signs is easy to ignore in isolation, if they all appear together, it's worth worrying about.
• Be sure to ask your doctor for a fasting blood sugar check for diabetes. People with metabolic syndrome have about a 30 percent chance of developing major blood sugar problems, which also raise your risk for heart attack and stroke.

• Evidence suggests that too much of this amino acid damages the inner lining of arteries and promotes blood clotting. The amino acid is created naturally when your body digests meat.
• A Norwegian study of 587 adults found that heart-related death risk was eight times greater when homocysteine was elevated. A 10 percent increase in blood homocysteine levels increases the risk of heart disease by 10 to 15 percent.

It's important to pay attention to your blood pressure and cholesterol, but if you stop there you're only getting half the story. Be sure to ask your doctor about these other risk factors when you go in for your next visit.