Heart Health and Heart Disease

Heart Disease, also known as cardiovascular (CVD) disease, along with Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), has been a common topic in the news today.  There are many who suffer from heart disease but it seems that as soon as we hear the news of a celebrity, for some reason it hits home and wakes us up.  The most recent celebrities to be plagued and to have succumb to this horrible disease are George Michael & Carrie Fisher, both with heart failure.  Such shocking and sad news, but this disease does not discriminate.

Cardiovascular disease include the following: 

• Angina
• Heart Attack
• Stroke
• Heart Failure
• Hypertensive Heart Disease
• Rheumatic Heart Disease
• Cardiomyopathy
• Heart Arrhythmia
• Congenital Heart Disease
• Valvular Heart Disease
• Carditis
• Aortic Aneurysms
• Peripheral Artery Disease
• Venous Thrombosis

According to CDC.gov, Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States.  

• About 610,000 people die of heart diseases in the United States every year, that’s 1 in every 4 deaths.
• Every year about 750,000 Americans have a heart attack, of these 550,000 are a first heart attack and 210,000 happen in people who have already had a heart attack.
• About 15% of people who have a heart attach will die from it.
• Almost half of sudden cardiac deaths happen outside a hospital.
• High blood pressure, high cholesterol and smoking are key risk factors for heart disease. About half of Americans (47%) have at lease one of these three risk factors. 
• Several other medical conditions can attribute to the disease as well, including:
• Diabetes, being overweight and obesity, Poor Diet, Physical Inactivity and Excessive Alcohol use.

SYMPTOMS OF HEART ATTACK:

A heart attack occurs when the blood supply to the heart is cut off.  The continued lack of blood flow to the heart muscle, can increase and greatly damage the heart.  Recognizing the signs of a heart attack and calling 911 immediately greatly increases the chance of survival.

The National Heart Attack Alert Program list the major signs of a heart attack: 

• Chest Pain or discomfort: Discomfort in the center or left side of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back.  The discomfort can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain.
• Discomfort in other areas of the upper body:  Can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach.
• Shortness of Breath:  Often comes along with the chest discomfort.  But it also can occur before chest discomfort.
• Other Symptoms:  May include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea, or light-headedness.

If you think that you or someone you know is having a heart attack, don’t hesitate to call 911 immediately.

Happy and Healthy 2017