Why do people get heart disease?

Interactions: Heart disease is often the result of environmental interactions and genetic predispositions. Some forms of heart diease are genetic, like some valvular abnormalities. Some are environmental, like exposure to toxins. Most are the result of some genetic predisposition or liklihood of developing a pathology and exposure in the environment that allows that predisposition to become manifest.

Coronary heart dz: Risk factors for coronary heart disease include tobacco use, diabetes, hypertension, certain types of hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol), all of which can create an unfavorable environment for the vascular system. Genetic predisposition plays a large role, and increases the chances that the environment created by the other risk factors will lead to heart disease.

Heart Disease: Everybody... Risk factors include genetics, untreated cholesterol/triglycerides, diabetes, smoking, obesity, high blood pressure, as well age and gender.