What is Heart Disease?

Heart disease results from a blockage or narrowing in the coronary arteries, which carry blood towards the heart, or an infection or other health problem, impairing the functions of the muscles or valves in the heart, according to the Mayo Clinic. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, according to MedlinePlus.


Significance
In 2006, 631,636 men and women died of heart disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fatalities from heart disease were almost equal for men and women in 2006, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Risk Factors
People who have a family history of heart disease, smoke cigarettes, abuse alcohol, have high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, diabetes, are overweight or obese, do not exercise regularly and/or are over 55 have an increased risk of developing heart disease.

Associated Problems
Heart disease puts people at risk for having a heart attack, stroke or aneurysm; developing angina; going into cardiac arrest and/or developing heart failure.
Symptoms
People with heart disease often do not have symptoms, according to the Nemours Foundation. Some people with the disease develop pain in their back, neck, chest or shoulder; light-headedness; shortness of breath; a rapid or slowed heartbeat; a swollen abdomen, legs or feet and/or fatigue.

Treatment
Drugs that are used to treat heart disease often reduce blood pressure, help control irregular heartbeats, prevent blood-clotting, treat heart failure, reduce cholesterol levels and/or increase blood flow towards the heart. During bypass-graft surgery, doctors attach a functioning blood vessel to a blocked artery to restore blood flow towards the heart, according to USA Today. Balloon angioplasty is a procedure where a catheter device with an attached balloon is used to expand a blocked artery.


Heart disease is still considered as one of the most sources of death. In fact, heart disease is the number one killer in the United States, England, and Wales. Although this condition is very worrying, the good news is that the number of deaths due to heart disease has decreased considerably over the years.

This improvement happens because a lot of studies and experiments have been conducted to treat coronary disease. Our knowledge and technology concerning drugs for heart attacks and surgeries to repair heart problems has never been better. The result is real and fatalities due to heart disease are decreased significantly.


Preventive measures for heart disease
Besides better knowledge and technology for treating heart disease, other factors have come up and contribute in reducing the fatalities due to heart disease. A number of preventive measures have been put in place to oppose heart disease. People are also more educated and proactively protect themselves against heart disease by proper dietary habits, stop smoking, do not do drugs, and spending time to do some exercises which can strengthen the heart.

This condition does not mean that heart disease is not a serious issue anymore. Even now heart problems usually cannot be treated easily. You cannot undermine the dangerous of heart disease even with today's knowledge and technology. The one thing that you need to keep in mind is that heart problems are not a hopeless situation compare to the condition years ago.

Regular check-up to prevent heart disease
The best way to diagnose heart disease before it becomes a life threatening situation is to do a regular check-up. It may not prevent heart disease to happen, but it surely can identify early symptoms and help the doctor to give you early treatment immediately. With early treatment, the successfulness of correcting heart problems is much higher. Due to this benefit, if you are someone who is at risk for heart disease, you should undertake regular check-ups.

Are you at risk for heart disease?
It is important to check your family history for any kind of heart disease. If you find any congenital or hereditary heart problems in your family tree, you need to consult with doctor for advice. Regular check-ups are highly recommended to identify any symptoms. Do this to prevent anything serious happens in the future. Prevention is much better than treatment or curing.



Heart Disease Statistics

Every 34 seconds a person in the United States dies from heart disease.

More than 2,500 Americans die from heart disease each day.

Every 20 seconds, a person in the United States has a heart attack.

At least 250,000 people die of heart attacks each year before they reach a hospital.

Studies show that under-educated people are more likely to suffer heart attacks.

The countries with the highest death rates from heart disease are the Soviet Union, Romania, Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia. The countries with the lowest are Japan, France, Spain, Switzerland, and Canada.

Almost 6 million hospitalizations each year (in the United States) are due to cardiovascular disease.

Since 1900, Cardio Vascular Disease has been the number 1 killer in the United States for every year but 1918.

Every 33 seconds, a person dies from Cardio Vascular Disease in the United States.
Men suffer heart attacks about 10 years earlier in life than women do.