Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. The risk of heart disease goes up with age. High blood pressure and high cholesterol are risk factors for heart disease. You are more likely to suffer from a heart attack if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol or if you smoke or drink too much alcohol. Heart disease happens when plaque builds up inside your coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart muscle itself. Over time, plaque can build up in arteries and narrow them, making it difficult for blood to reach the heart muscle properly. This can result in chest pain (angina) or an actual heart attack (myocardial infarction). If oxygen levels are cut off from part of the heart muscle for more than 5 minutes, that part of the muscle dies because it doesn't get enough oxygen. This is called a "heart attack."
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States
Heart disease kills more people than all forms of cancer combined and is responsible for 1 in every 4 deaths here at home. In America, heart disease strikes someone every 43 seconds and kills someone every 1 minute and 48 seconds.
The risk of heart disease goes up with age
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. It's most common in older people, but it can affect people of all ages. Heart disease is more common in men than women, and African Americans and Hispanics have higher rates of heart attacks than whites do.
Heart disease happens when plaque builds up inside your coronary arteries, which supply blood to your heart muscle. This makes it difficult for blood to reach the heart properly, which can cause chest pain or a heart attack if not treated quickly enough with CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation).
High blood pressure and high cholesterol are risk factors for heart disease
If you have high blood pressure or high cholesterol, it's important to take steps to manage these risk factors. High blood pressure and high cholesterol can be managed with lifestyle changes and medications. If you have diabetes, being aware of your risk for heart disease is also important because having diabetes increases that risk.
- High blood pressure is a major cause of coronary artery disease (CAD). It increases the workload on the heart by forcing it to pump against higher resistance caused by narrowing arteries in the body. This puts extra strain on the heart muscle itself and can lead to damage over time. High cholesterol levels increase plaque build-up inside arteries that supply oxygen-rich blood throughout our bodies. The best way to prevent CAD from developing is through healthy lifestyle habits such as eating healthy foods, getting enough exercise each week, maintaining a normal weight through dieting if necessary not smoking cigarettes or chewing tobacco avoiding excessive alcohol consumption (more than one drink per day for men), limiting caffeine intake (two cups per day maximum)
You are more likely to suffer from a heart attack if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol or if you smoke or drink too much alcohol
There are many risk factors for heart disease. The most common include:
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure and high cholesterol
If you have diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol, talk to your doctor about how often you should have a heart attack. Smoking and drinking too much alcohol also can damage your heart. If these habits are part of your daily routine, it's important to stop them because they increase the risk of developing heart disease or stroke later in life.
Heart disease happens when plaque builds up inside your coronary arteries
The buildup can cause a narrowing of these vessels and make it difficult for blood to reach the heart muscle properly.
If you have heart disease and experience chest pain or discomfort during physical activity, it's important to see a doctor immediately and get treatment before you have another episode.
Over time, plaque can build up in arteries and narrow them, making it difficult for blood to reach the heart muscle properly.
Atherosclerosis is a condition that causes plaque to build up in the arteries. Over time, this buildup can narrow the arteries and make it difficult for blood to reach the heart muscle properly.
- A person suffering from atherosclerosis might experience shortness of breath and fatigue due to oxygen starvation when their heart isn't getting enough blood flow.
- The buildup of plaque in the arteries is called atherosclerosis.
- Atherosclerosis can cause narrowing of the arteries, which makes it difficult for blood to flow through them properly; this condition is sometimes referred to as coronary artery disease or CAD/CADs
If oxygen levels are cut off from part of the heart muscle for more than 5 minutes, that part of the muscle dies.
A heart attack is a medical emergency. Call 911 immediately if you suspect someone is having one. If you are trained in CPR, you can help the person who is having a heart attack by performing chest compressions on them. If you aren't trained in CPR, try to stay calm and call 911 immediately while doing mouth-to-mouth breathing for the person who has collapsed or lost consciousness.
If possible, try to stay by their side until help arrives keeping them warm and talking will help keep their blood circulating until paramedics arrive with electric defibrillators that can restart their hearts if necessary. In addition to calling 911 and performing first aid (if needed), here are some other things that may be helpful:
If you have heart disease, it is important that you know how to perform CPR
CPR is a lifesaving skill that can help save lives in an emergency situation. It should be performed by someone who has been trained in CPR and has the necessary equipment on hand. While mouth-to-mouth resuscitation is often associated with CPR, this method is actually used less frequently than chest compressions for adults who are not breathing or have no pulse.
Conclusion
If you have heart disease, it is important that you know how to perform CPR. If someone has a heart attack, they need immediate medical attention, but if they can't get help immediately (for example), then CPR could save their life by keeping blood flowing through their body until paramedics arrive at the scene.
