Talking About Heart Health, Part 1
February is American Heart Month. This month takes on special meaning for me because heart health forms the -- well, heart -- of my personal and professional endeavors. Every day this month, I’ll be featuring some aspect of heart health, whether educational or inspirational in nature. I’ll cover important numbers / labs to monitor, healthy recipes, my favorite ways to exercise, people and quotes that inspire me to keep my heart fit, etc.
Let’s start by examining the prevalence of heart disease in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides valuable data that, while grim, position us to face the reality of heart disease and to combat it accordingly:
-- Heart disease remains the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethic groups.
-- 1 in every 4 deaths is due to heart disease.
-- Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common type of heart disease. Over 18 million adults aged 20 and older have CAD.
-- About 2 in 10 deaths from CAD occur in individuals under 65 years of age.
-- Every year, about 805,000 Americans have a heart attack. 1 in every 5 of these is silent -- that is, the damage is done without the person’s being aware of it.
Key risk factors for heart disease include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking. Several other medical conditions and lifestyle conditions also place one at higher risk for heart disease. They include diabetes, obesity, unhealthy eating, physical inactivity, and excessive alcohol use.
I mentioned above that coronary artery disease is the most common type of heart disease, so let’s examine it more closely. CAD is related to atherosclerosis, which is the narrowing of arteries due to plaque buildup (i.e. fatty deposits) inside the blood vessels. When atherosclerosis occurs in the arteries leading to the heart muscle, the condition is termed coronary artery disease. The more that plaque builds up in these arteries, the more difficult it is for blood to reach the heart muscle. The plaques can also rupture, forming a blood clot. As with any other organ, the heart needs blood to function, so when blood cannot reach the heart, the muscle starts to die. The medical term for this phenomenon is a myocardial infarction, but we know it more commonly as a heart attack.
Now for some good news: Every risk factor noted above is preventable, modifiable, and even reversible through lifestyle. How great is it that we have the power to combat the #1 killer of men and women through the choices we make every day? Furthermore, how wonderful it is that we have an abundance of resources to help us make healthy choices!
My earnest hope is that everything I share this month can be a valuable resource to help you keep your heart healthy and strong.
From my heart to yours, let’s make February a month to remember.
References:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, September 8). Heart disease facts. https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm
WebMD LLC. (n.d.). Atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease. https://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/atherosclerosis-and-coronary-artery-disease#1