According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the most common heart diseases are coronary artery disease, angina, heart failure and arrhythmias. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Therefore, it is important for all Americans to be aware of the scope of the problem, signs and symptoms and understand how to prevent heart related conditions.
Scope of the Problem
Coronary artery disease, which can lead to a heart attack, is the most common form of heart disease. In 2006, the Centers from Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, report that one fourth of the deaths were from a heart condition. They also report that every year, more than 750,000 persons have their first heart attack.
Risk Factors
According to the CDC, nine out of 10 persons have at least one risk factor from the following list: high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, cigarette smoking,overweight and obesity, poor diet, physical inactivity and alcohol use. All of these risk factors are related to lifestyle habits that can be changed, or are treatable conditions.
Prevention
There are things that you can do to help prevent heart related conditions. Exercise for at least thirty minutes on most days. Eat a diet high in fruits, vegetables and fiber and lower in saturated fat and cholesterol. Do not smoke or drink. Have regular checkups with your doctor and take medicines as directed to treat diabetes and high blood pressure and cholesterol.
Common Heart Conditions
Coronary artery disease is when there is plaque buildup in the arteries. This can lead to angina, heart attack or stroke. Other conditions include problems with the ascending aorta which brings blood to the rest of the body, arrhythmias, or abnormal heart rhythm, atrial fibrillation, or fast heart rhythm, cardiomyopathy which is when the heart becomes rigid or enlarged or heart failure, when the heart is not strong enough to pump blood efficiently through the body.
The Cost of Heart Disease
According to the CDC over 650,000 people die of heart diseases in the U.S. each year which is over one fourth of deaths in the United States. They also report that heart disease is a leading cause of disability in the U.S. Preventing heart disease through changing unhealthy behaviors and getting other illnesses, such as high cholesterol and diabetes treated can help to decrease deaths related to heart disease and increase quality of life.
