KNOW THE FACTS ABOUT HEART DISEASE

 What is heart disease?

 

 Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. More than 600,000 Americans die of heart disease each year. That's one in every four deaths in this country.

The term “heart disease” refers to several types of heart conditions. The most common type is coronary artery disease, which can cause heart attack.. A heart attack happens when an artery becomes blocked, preventing oxygen and nutrients from getting to the heart. Heart disease is one of several cardiovascular diseases, which are diseases of the heart and blood vessel system. Other cardiovascular diseases include stroke, high blood pressure, angina (chest pain), and rheumatic heart disease.
 

One reason some women aren't too concerned about heart disease is that they think it can be "cured" with surgery or medication. This is a myth. Heart disease is a lifelong condition—once you get it, you'll always have it. True, procedures such as bypass surgery and percutaneous coronary intervention can help blood and oxygen flow to the heart more easily. But the arteries remain damaged, which means you are more likely to have a heart attack.

 Are you at risk?

Anyone, including children, can develop heart disease. It occurs when a substance called plaque builds up in your arteries. When this happens, your arteries can narrow over time, reducing blood flow to the heart.

Risks Factors You Can Control

·         Smoking

·         Eating an unhealthy diet

·         Not getting enough exercise

·                      ·         Having high cholesterol

·                      ·         High blood pressure or diabetes also can increase 

                  your risk for heart disease. 

Risks Factors You Can’t Control

·                       ·          Age The risk of heart disease increases for men after age 45 and for women after age 
                  55 (or after menopause).

·         Family history of early heart disease. Your risk increases if your father or a brother was diagnosed with heart disease before 55 years of age, or if your mother or a sister was diagnosed with heart disease before 65 years of age.

·         Preeclampsia (pre-e-KLAMP-se-ah). This condition can develop during pregnancy. The two main signs of preeclampsia are a rise in blood pressure and excess protein in the urine. Preeclampsia is linked to an increased lifetime risk of heart disease, heart attack, heart failure, and high blood pressure.

 What are the signs and symptoms?

·         The symptoms vary depending on the type of heart disease. For many people, chest discomfort or a heart attack is the first sign.

·         Someone having a heart attack may experience several symptoms, including:

·         Chest pain or discomfort that doesn’t go away after a few minutes.

·         Pain or discomfort in the jaw, neck, or back.

·         Weakness, light-headedness, nausea (feeling sick to your stomach), or a cold sweat.

·         Pain or discomfort in the arms or shoulder.

·         Shortness of breath.

If you think that you or someone you know is having a heart attack, call 9-1-1 immediately

How is heart disease diagnosed?

Your doctor can perform several tests to diagnose heart disease, including chest X-rays, coronary angiograms, electrocardiograms (ECG or EKG), and exercise stress tests. Ask your doctor about what tests may be right for you.

Can it be prevented?

You can take several steps to reduce your risk for heart disease:

Don’t smoke. CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health Web site has information on quitting smoking.

http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco

Don’t smoke. CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health Web site has information on quitting smoking. http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco

Maintain a healthy weight. CDC’s Healthy Weight Web site includes information and tools to help you lose weight. http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/ index.html

Eat a healthy diet. Tips on reducing saturated fat in your diet are available on the Web site for CDC’s Division for Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity.  http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/fat/saturatedfat.html

Exercise regularly. Visit CDC’s Physical Activity Web site for more information on being active. http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity

Prevent or treat your other health conditions, especially high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.

How is it treated?

If you have heart disease, lifestyle changes, like those just listed, can help lower your risk for complications. Your doctor also may prescribe medication to treat the disease. Talk with your doctor about the best ways to reduce your heart disease risk.

For More Information:

Learn more at the following Web sites.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/index.htm

American Heart Association: http://www.americanheart.org