Learn more about ‘What Are The #5 Things To Know About Heart Disease And Signs?’ The figures are concerning because heart disease is still the number one killer in the US. In accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Cardiovascular disease claims one life in the United States every 34 seconds. In the United States, heart disease claimed the lives of almost 697,000 people in 2020, accounting for 1 in 5 fatalities.”
Heart illness may take many different forms, but the most prevalent one is, “cardiovascular disease (CAD), which impairs the heart’s blood flow. A heart attack can be brought on by decreased blood flow “the CDC reports. A heart attack occurs in the United States every 40 seconds, but there are several techniques to help avoid or significantly lower the risk. 90% of the almost 18 million instances of heart disease in the globe, according to the Cleveland Clinic, could be avoided if people adopted a healthy diet, engaged in regular exercise, and gave up smoking.
Consume This, Not That! According to Dr. Sanjeev Aggarwal, a cardiovascular surgeon and Hello Heart medical advisor, who was interviewed by Health, “The best thing people can do for their present health concerns, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, is to monitor and take care of them. Making heart-healthy dietary choices (lowering intake of salt, fat, added sugar, and alcohol) and engaging in regular physical exercise are all lifestyle choices that can significantly lessen the risk of heart disease and even save lives.”
The author continues, “One of the most effective tools we have in the fight against heart disease is patient empowerment. Tracking your blood pressure at home is an easy way to keep an eye on your heart health. It can help you draw connections between how your lifestyle affects your blood pressure and overall heart health. Read on—and don’t miss these Sure Signs You’ve Already Had COVID.
Why Heart Disease Is Still The Leading Killer When It’s Preventable?
The top cause of death for both men and women, according to Dr. Aggarwal, is heart disease, which claims more lives every year than all solid organ malignancies put together. Nearly 50% of Americans have high blood pressure, which continues to be one of the major risk factors for heart disease. Despite the fact that high blood pressure is still one of the primary risk factors for heart disease, few people are aware of its dangers.
Just over a third of the 1,000 persons polled in an online study by the American Heart Association and the American Medical Association had a diagnosis of hypertension. 40% of individuals polled admitted they have no idea what their blood pressure is. Simply put, there is a lack of understanding of the illnesses, their risk factors, and sufficient control.
Risk Factors Cause Silent Damage
“I think the most essential thing people must understand about heart disease is that the risk factors do their harm silently, and that it’s crucial to take efforts to avoid and manage those risks,” says Dr. Aggarwal. All organs in your body might be impacted by cardiovascular disease. One of the main risk factors for heart disease, high blood pressure also puts people at risk for heart attacks, heart failure, stroke, renal failure, and a variety of other medical conditions. The good news is that high blood pressure is simple to check, may be measured without an intrusive test or blood sample, and can be assessed often at home.
The American Heart Association has published guidelines that suggest home blood pressure monitoring as a crucial tool for assessing the efficacy of treatment for those with high blood pressure. Several clinical trials have shown that using self-measured blood pressure at home can improve the diagnosis and management of high blood pressure. If heart disease is not treated, it may impact other organs and result in renal failure, liver failure, eyesight loss, and other problems.
Not All Heart Disease Signs Are Classic Symptoms
Dr. Aggarwal explains, “While most people are aware of the classic heart attack symptoms, there are some less obvious signs that can point to a larger cardiovascular problem. Other symptoms may include fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness, lightheadedness, upper back pain, nausea, vomiting, and abdomin pain. Not all patients who have life-threatening heart disease manifest the classic symptoms we often hear about, such as crushing chest pain, left arm pain, or jaw pain.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claim that “The signs or symptoms of a heart attack, heart failure, or an arrhythmia may not be seen until after a person has been diagnosed with heart disease that is “silent” or undiagnosed. Symptoms of these occurrences include:
Heart attack symptoms include chest pain or discomfort, pain in the upper back or neck, heartburn, nausea, vomiting, severe exhaustion, pain in the upper body, disorientation, and shortness of breath.
Arrhythmia: Chest fluttering sensations (palpitations).
Shortness of breath, exhaustion, or swelling of the legs, abdomen, or neck veins are symptoms of heart failure.”
Risk Factors For Heart Disease Can Be Different For Women
Doctor Aggarwal suggests “It’s critical to understand what factors might raise women’s risk for heart disease. The primary risk factors are hypertension, diabetes, low levels of HDL (also known as “good cholesterol”) or high levels of LDL (also known as “bad cholesterol”), obesity, smoking, inactivity, depression, and stress. Many people can be unaware that some risk factors have sex-based distinctions, despite the fact that everyone is affected by universal risk factors like high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Guidelines for ideal cholesterol levels, for instance, differ for men and women.”
The Mayo Clinic claims that “Women and men are both affected by a number of the classic risk factors for coronary artery disease, including excessive cholesterol, high blood pressure, and obesity. However, it’s possible that other variables contribute more to the onset of heart disease in women.
Women’s hearts are more susceptible to stress and depression than men’s. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and adhering to treatment recommendations for various medical disorders may be challenging for someone who is depressed.
-Women with diabetes have a higher risk of developing heart disease than do males. There is also a higher chance of experiencing a silent heart attack, which has no visible signs, as diabetes can alter how painful things feel for women.
-Compared to males, women are at higher risk of developing heart disease from smoking.”
Heart Attack Symptoms Can Be Different For Women
According to Dr. Aggarwal, “Heart attacks in women more frequently appear with atypical symptoms as compared to males, which might lead to delays in diagnosis in women and worse outcomes.” Although males frequently suffer the left arm and chest discomfort associated with heart attacks, this isn’t always the case for women.
Women are more likely to experience unusual symptoms such chest pain, upper back pain, neck or throat pain, pain in either arm, sweating, heartburn, indigestion, nausea, and vomiting, as well as excessive fatigue, shortness of breath, and disorientation. Due to the non-specific nature of many of these symptoms, women’s heart attack symptoms are frequently misdiagnosed as other illnesses like anxiousness. This causes delays in identification and greater fatality rates in women with heart attacks than in men.”
The Mayo Clinic reports that “In contrast to males, women are more prone to experience heart attack symptoms like:
- Neck, jaw, shoulder, upper back or upper belly (abdomen) discomfort
- Shortness of breath
- Pain in one or both arms
- Nausea or vomiting
- Sweating
- Lightheadedness or dizziness
- Unusual fatigue
- Heartburn (indigestion)
These signs and symptoms might not be as obvious as the severe chest discomfort that is frequently connected to heart attacks. This may be due to small vessel heart disease, also known as coronary microvascular disease, a condition in which women are more likely than males to have blockages not just in their major arteries but also in the smaller ones that feed blood to the heart. Women typically experience symptoms more frequently than males do while they are relaxing or even asleep. In women, emotional stress may contribute to the onset of heart attack symptoms.
