Heart problems develop when there is damage to the heart or its blood vessels. The most common heart problems include coronary artery disease, heart failure, arrhythmias, and heart valve disease. Here are some of the main causes and risk factors that contribute to the development of heart problems: 1. High blood pressure: High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a major risk factor for heart problems. When the force of blood pushes against the walls of the arteries with high force, it reduces elasticity of arteries damaging their ability to handle to handle oxygen content that has to route to heart. Reduced oxygen flow causes heart attack and the risk of developing heart disease. 2. High cholesterol: High cholesterol levels in blood can lead to the build up of fatty residues in arteries, which restricts blood flow to the heart and puts heart at greater risk of heart problems. 3. Smoking: Smoking also like high cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease. This also has the capability of building thick deposits in veins and arteries leading to heart restricting blood flow to the heart. Reduced blood flow exerts extra pressure to the heart leading to heart attack. 4. Diabetes: People with diabetes are at higher risk of developing heart disease due to the fact that high blood sugar levels damage arteries. Damaged arteries reduce the tendency of arteries to control blood flow thus allowing plague build up. High blood sugar levels can damage the blood vessels 5. Obesity: Obesity is one of the most prominent reasons for getting close to heart problems. It can lead to an unwanted increase in bad cholesterol which is a bad ingredient for heart. Obesity also is the main cause for increase in blood pressure 6. Family history: Heart disease can also be a hereditary cause for a person. Person can acquire the disease due to DNA which is identical in characteristics to the parent line. Any abnormalities in blood are transferred down the next generations. 7. Aging: Aging is another cause for the risk of developing heart disease. Stiffness of arteries decreases. Blockages also become common in this age. When blood flow to the heart is not normal, heart occurs. 8. Physical inactivity: An inactive lifestyle can increase the risk of heart disease when a person has a sitting job. This tends to increase muscle build up around the heart which hinders blood flow to the heart. Regular exercise can help keep the heart healthy and reduce the risk of heart problems. 9. Stress: Chronic stress on the mind can increase the risk of heart disease. It leads to high blood pressure and other risk factors for heart problems. 10. Unhealthy diet: A diet that contains high quantity of fats, salt, and sugar can increase the heart disease risk. Eating a healthy diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein can help reduce the risk of heart problems. To summarise heart problems develop when there is damage to heart or its adjoining blood vessels which are caused by wide range of factors including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, obesity, family history, aging, physical inactivity, stress, and an unhealthy diet. If a person closely understands these factors, then only heart disease risks can be properly understood.