Heart disease is a major health situation in the United States. Not only do more than 700,000 people have heart attacks annually, but more than 600,000 people die from heart-related diseases each year. That’s 1 in 4 deaths, which makes it the most common cause of death in America.
The term ‘heart disease’ is more of a general category, as the term is associated with several different conditions of the heart. Each one has special symptoms, causes and treatments.
Interestingly, heart disease is more than just disease of the heart. It’s actually more commonly called cardiovascular disease, as it affects not just the heart muscle, but the arteries and blood vessels around the entire body.
The most common type of cardiovascular disease is coronary heart disease, which occurs when plaque builds up in the arteries that supply blood to the heart. A heart attack happens when the blood flow to the heart is blocked by a blood clot. If the clot cuts off blood flow completely, the part of the heart muscle supplied by that artery begins to die.
An ischemic stroke occurs when a blood vessel that supplies blood to the brain is blocked from a blood clot. Whatever part of the brain is affected will quickly die from the lack of blood. A hemorrhagic stroke is a bit different, as its cause is related to uncontrolled hypertension, which weakens blood vessels that eventually rupture, causing blood to flow into the surrounding brain.
Heart failure, often called congestive heart failure, means that the heart is gradually losing strength and cannot pump blood as efficiently as it used to. Over a period of time, this eventually leads to the heart stopping. Arrhythmia is defined as having an abnormal heart beat. Sometimes the heart can beat too fast, sometimes too slowly and other times irregularly.
Another common form of cardiovascular disease is problems with heart valves. When the valves don’t open or close properly, the heart cannot maintain the correct amount of pressure to circulate the blood properly.
No matter what the exact form of cardiovascular disease one might suffer from, it’s beneficial to remember that it is controllable, and actually, preventable. During the course of the month, this series will highlight a variety of heart disease-related issues: what to do after diagnosis, treatment, care, nutrition, exercise and prevention.
SOURCES
http://www.cdc.gov/features/heartmonth/
