The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that approximately every 25 seconds, someone in America will have some type of heart disease event. With heart disease being the leading cause of death in the United States, about one person dies every minute from a coronary event.
High Blood Pressure
Blood pressure readings equal the ratio of the amount of pressure in the arteries when the heart beats (systolic) and the pressure between beats (diastolic) as the heart muscle fills with blood. Categories of blood pressure readings include normal, pre-hypertension, hypertension (high blood pressure) stage 1, hypertension stage 2 and hypertensive crisis. The American Heart Association reports that a normal systolic reading equals less than 120 and normal diastolic less than 80. Stage 1 high blood pressure ranges from 140/90 to 159/99, with stage 2 readings higher than 160/100. Seek emergency care immediately if your blood pressure reaches 180/110 or higher. Blood pressure readings indicate the condition of the arteries and the ability of the heart to produce adequate force to supply the body's circulatory requirements.
Rhythm Disorders
Rhythm disorders (arrhythmias) occur when the heartbeat is either too slow (bradycardia) or too fast (tachycardia). The University of Maryland Medical Center defines tachycardia as a heart rate of more than 100 beats per minute and bradycardia as a heart rate of less than 60 beats per minute. Rhythm disorders indicate an interference of the heart's ability to pump blood continually and adequately to all body systems. Arrhythmias that begin in the heart's atria include atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, supraventricular tachycardia, sinus arrhythmia and multifocal atrial tachycardia. Rhythm disorders originating in the ventricles include premature ventricular contraction, ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia. Ventricular arrhythmias are serious and require immediate intervention.
Valve Disease
Valve disease is a type of heart disease that affects any of the four heart valves. Each of the heart valves controls the direction of the blood flow with a one-way opening. The three types of valve disorders include a valve that allows blood to flow backward (regurgitation), an obstruction of the valve opening (stenosis) that limits the amount of blood flow, and the lack of an opening in the valve. A disease of any valve compromises the ability of the heart to function adequately. The mitral and tricuspid valves are at the bottom of the two upper chambers, and the pulmonary and aortic valves are located in the ventricles, or the lower chambers of the heart. The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute reports that the presence of heart valve disease manifests in newborns as congenital disease and in adults as acquired heart valve disease.
