5 “Hidden” Risk Factors for Vascular Disease You Need to Know About

You probably know that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States; you may have even heard that it’s held this grim ranking for over a century (since 1921). 

But do you know what’s behind most cases of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke? 

In this month’s blog, our team at Advanced Vascular Surgery takes a closer look at vascular disease — or the various conditions that can damage, block, or impair your blood vessels and set the stage for a range of serious health complications.

Blood vessel “highways” of circulation 

Your vascular system is the extensive network of blood vessel “superhighways” that facilitate your body’s blood flow (circulation) — or the vital, continuous transportation and exchange of oxygen, nutrients, and waste products. It includes:

• Arteries, which deliver oxygen-rich blood from your heart to your body
• Veins, which carry deoxygenated blood from your body back to your heart
• Capillaries, which enable material exchange between blood and tissues

Vascular disease is an umbrella medical term that covers any condition that damages, narrows, or weakens your blood vessels and impairs circulation.  

Vascular disease can take many forms

As a major risk factor for heart attack, stroke, and limb impairment or loss, vascular disease is a leading cause of illness, disability, and death in the US. 

Arterial diseases

In the arteries, vascular disease is often rooted in atherosclerosis — the buildup of fatty plaque that reduces or blocks blood flow. This includes:

• Carotid artery disease, or plaque buildup in the neck arteries
• Peripheral artery disease (PAD), or arterial narrowing in the legs or arms
• Coronary artery disease (CAD), or plaque within the cardiac arteries

Aneurysm, another common form of vascular disease, occurs when a weakened artery wall balloons outward, increasing the possibility of a life-threatening vascular burst. 

Venous diseases

In the veins, vascular disease often stems from weakened internal valves that can’t maintain efficient blood flow. This can lead to: 

• Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), or poor lower extremity circulation
• Visible vein dilation and damage (e.g., spider veins, varicose veins)
• Blood clots, like deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE)

Other forms of vascular disease can emerge from blood vessel injury or inflammation. 

Hidden risk factors for vascular disease

Vascular disease is very common among Americans, largely because its top risk factors — including excess weight, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, inactivity, smoking, and aging — are also very common. 

But many lesser-known risk factors can accelerate the development and progression of vascular disease, too. These “hidden” factors include:

1. Chronic inflammation

Ongoing low-grade systemic inflammation is a leading “silent” driver of vascular disease: An inflammatory environment damages the delicate lining (endothelium) of blood vessels, setting the stage for easy plaque accumulation. This vascular “wear-and-tear” can happen with:

• Chronically high stress levels
• Anxiety, depression, or trauma 
• Untreated periodontal disease
• A gut microbiome imbalance
• Unaddressed food intolerance
• Environmental toxin exposure

Long-term inflammatory conditions — such as insomnia, polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), autoimmune disease (e.g., lupus, psoriasis), and gastrointestinal (GI) disorders (e.g., IBD, diverticulitis) — are also associated with vascular damage.  

2. Untreated sleep apnea

Sleep apnea causes repeated breathing pauses — and subsequent drops in blood oxygen levels — during the night. By prompting your sympathetic nervous system to release stress hormones and raise your blood pressure, these sudden, recurrent “oxygen deprivation events” strain and inflame your arteries. 

3. Habitual prolonged sitting

Even if you’re steadfast about getting daily exercise, when you spend the rest of the day sitting at a desk, behind the wheel, or on the couch, your circulation suffers. Prolonged sitting can weaken the valves in your veins, slow blood flow, and set the stage for lower-extremity swelling, blood clots, and vein damage. 

4. Vitamin D deficiency 

Vitamin D isn’t just vital for bone health; in your vascular system, it boosts protective compounds that keep blood vessels youthful and elastic, and suppresses destructive compounds that damage them. 

About one billion people worldwide have vitamin D deficiency, which is strongly associated with arterial stiffening, elevated blood pressure, systemic inflammation, and accelerated plaque formation and vascular aging.

5. Early menopause 

Estrogen actively supports a woman’s vascular health by protecting her arteries and keeping them flexible, regulating healthy LDL/HDL cholesterol ratios, controlling plaque buildup, and controlling inflammation. 

These protective effects disappear as estrogen declines during menopause, raising the risk of heart disease among postmenopausal women. For women who go through menopause early (before age 45), however, the long-term risk of cardiovascular and ischemic diseases like CAD, PAD, heart failure, and stroke is about 40% higher. 

Ready to protect your vascular health?

Luckily, there’s a lot you can do to support healthy arteries and veins and protect against vascular disease. The first step? Understanding the individual risk factors that leave you more vulnerable to vascular damage — so you can actively mitigate them.  

To get started, schedule an appointment at Advanced Vascular Surgery in Kalamazoo, Allegan, Battle Creek, Coldwater, Sturgis, or Three Rivers, Michigan, today.