Irreversible factors

Age

Ischaemic heart disease is generally associated with advanced coronary disease. This rarely presents in young people, except in the cases of familial raised blood fats. It occurs more commonly as people age, and it is almost universal in the elderly population in the Western world.

Gender

Men have a higher incidence of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) than pre-menopausal women although the incidence in women after the menopause is similar to men. This may be due to the absence of the protective effect of oestrogen.