One In Every Four Deaths In The Us Happens Due To Heart Disease
In the US, the leading cause of death for men and women is cardiovascular disease. To put things in perspective, one in every four deaths happens because of heart disease, the data on heart attack rates by country reveals. Whats more, every year, heart disease has a fatal outcome for 655,000 US citizens.
Not Being Vaccinated Against Flu
Another surprising potential trigger for heart attacks seems to be the failure to get a flu vaccine.
This vaccine is readily available in pharmacies, especially as it gets closer to flu season. The primary purpose of the vaccine is to help equip the body with improved defenses against the viruses that cause flu.
Scientists have discovered that this particular vaccination might actually have some positive effects on the heart as well with an observed 50% reduction in heart attack events among those who do get vaccinated.
This particular benefit seems to be especially important for individuals who have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, according to one study.
Heart Attack Survival Rates Rise
Study Shows Improvement in Survival Rates for Medicare Patients After Heart Attack Hospitalization
Aug. 18, 2009 — Americans aged 65 and older are becoming more likely to survive the first month after hospitalization for a heart attack.
That’s according to a new study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association.
Data came from more than 2.7 million people aged 65 and older who were admitted to more than 4,000 U.S. hospitals for heart attack treatment between 1995 and 2006. During those years, a national effort was made to improve heart attack care at hospitals.
The odds of dying in the first 30 days after heart attack survivors were admitted to the hospital improved during the study period.
For instance, 18.9% of heart attack survivors aged 65 and older died from any cause in the first 30 days after being admitted to the hospital in 1995, compared to 16.1% in 2006. In 1995, 14.6% of heart attack patients died in the hospital in 2006, about 10% died in the hospital.
It’s not that the patients were healthier in recent years. In fact, they were more likely than earlier heart attack survivors to have conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and previous history of heart attacks.
Hospitals across the board, in terms of their quality of care, showed improvement in survival rates for heart attack survivors.
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What Treatment Will I Need
If you have a heart attack it is vital to have treatment as soon as possible.
Early treatment can restore the blood flow to the damaged part of your heart muscle and can save your life. It can also limit the amount of permanent damage to your heart muscle.
Many people who have a heart attack need emergency treatment to unblock the coronary artery. This could be:
primary angioplasty a procedure to re-open the blocked coronary artery and usually by inserting stents to help keep the narrowed artery open.
thrombolysis medicine which dissolves the blood clot blocking the coronary artery.
What Are The Symptoms Of A Heart Attack
The most common sign of a heart attack is chest pain that doesnt go away, which may feel like pressure, tightness or squeezing. This sensation often starts in the middle of your chest and may travel to your neck, jaw, ears, arms or wrists. Although this is the most common sign, not everyone experiences it.
Other symptoms which may indicate youre having a heart attack include:
- Pain in the neck, jaw or back and down the left arm or down both arms
- Feeling or being sick
- Feeling short of breath
The symptoms of a heart attack can often be different in men and women. Women are more likely to experience symptoms other than chest pain, and slightly less likely to feel chest pain. Women are also more likely to think that their symptoms are not serious.
It is crucial that if you or someone you know shows one or more signs of a heart attack, you call 999 right away.
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% Of Women Die Within A Year Of A Heart Attack
Although women are more likely to have a heart attack in the later stages of their lives, they die from it more frequently, as shown by heart attack statistics. For instance, the American Heart Association broke the news that 26% of women die within a year of a heart attack, opposed to 19% of men. Furthermore, by five years after a heart attack, 50% of women die, have a stroke, or develop heart failure, whereas thats the case for 36% of men.
Types Of Heart Attacks
Most heart attacks are caused by a blockage in a coronary artery, but, in rare cases, they can be caused by a sudden spasm or tearing of an artery.
The two main types of heart attacks are:
- ST-elevation myocardial infarction is when there is a complete blockage in a coronary artery. It is the most severe type of heart attack.
- Non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction is when an artery is partially blocked and severely reduces blood flow to the heart. NSTEMI is slightly more common than STEMI.
Other types of heart attacks, which are less common than STEMI or NSTEMI, are:
- Coronary artery spasm is when the artery contracts or spasms severely. This narrows the artery and decreases blood flow to part of the heart muscle.
- Coronary artery dissection is a rare type of heart attack in which there’s a spontaneous tearing of the coronary artery wall.
The likelihood of survival depends on which arteries are affected. A blockage in the left anterior descending artery, a branch of the left coronary artery, has the highest risk of death.
The LAD artery supplies a large part of the heart and a STEMI of the LAD artery is sometimes referred to as the “the widowmaker” because of the increased risk of complications and death.
A widowmaker heart attack is also associated with an increased risk of heart failure and stroke, but it is less common than a blockage to the right coronary artery .
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Heart Attack Survival Rates
Also known as myocardial infarction, heart attacks can occur to just about anyone. However, not all are fatal. Based on various factors, some people come through a myocardial infarction and go on to live a full life. Others may not. So, what exactly causes some people to survive heart attacks over others? Here is some vital information about heart attacks and what influences your chances of survival.
Causes Of A Heart Attack
Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of heart attacks.
CHD is a condition in which the major blood vessels that supply the heart get clogged with deposits of cholesterol, known as plaques.
Before a heart attack, 1 of the plaques bursts , causing a blood clot to develop at the site of the rupture.
The clot may block the supply of blood to the heart, triggering a heart attack.
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It Is Crucial Not To Delay Diagnosis And Treatment Say Experts
Despite medical advances in heart attack management in the last five decades, nearly 8 lakh people die due to sudden cardiac arrest in India every year, with a survival rate of only 5%.
During a webinar on Changes in the Scenario of Heart Attack Management, cardiologists said the survival rate could be improved only with public awareness on how to identify symptoms at home, understand the importance of the golden hour and be trained in basic lifesaving techniques.
The webinar was presented by Kauvery Hospital and the two panellists were S. Aravindakumar, chief consultant interventional cardiologist, at the Tiruchi centre and Deep Chandh Raja, Consultant Cardiologist and clinical lead of Cardiac Electrophysiology at Kauvery Chennai.
A heart attack pain is an excruciating one never experienced before it comes predominantly on the left side but could also be felt on the right and radiating in the arms, Dr. Aravindakumar said. However, diabetic patients may suffer silent heart attacks with mild or no pain.
It is advisable not to ignore the cluster of symptoms manifesting as nausea or vomiting, swollen feet, difficulty in walking, profuse sweating, shortness of breath and palpitations out of nowhere, he added.
When there is a delay, the heart muscles gradually die the organ becomes weak due to the lack of blood supply, and beyond 8-9 hours in that condition, it becomes impossible to salvage the organ, Dr. Deep said.
Which Heart Attack Risk Factors Can You Control
Certain factors make someone more likely to have a heart attack. Some of them are modifiable and some are not.
Those that can be changed include high cholesterol, high blood pressure, physical inactivity, being overweight or obese, smoking tobacco, and diabetes.
Risk factors that are not modifiable include older age, sex , and family history.
The last one, Dr. Osborne says, is particularly important to be aware of. You may eat right, exercise, not smoke, and do the right things, but if youve got a bad family history, be aware that doing those things certainly may reduce your risk of heart disease but not eliminate it, he says.
Its important for people who have a greater risk of a heart attack to be extra vigilant when it comes to noticing the signs of one and to get to a doctor right away if symptoms occur.
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Five Facts About Heart Disease To Live By
1. Keep Moving
If you havent been exercising at all, its never too late to start. The older we get, we are tempted to find excuses to avoid physical activity. If exercise is new to you, talk with your doctor about which activities are preferable. Even short walks offer advantages to your heart.
According to research by the American Heart Association, physically active middle-aged adults have a low risk of sudden cardiac arrest. The results confirm that there are significant benefits to middle-agers who exercise.
If you are in your 50s, try for a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week. If you are in your 60s or beyond, try for 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity each week.
2. Your Age Alone May Put You at Increased Risk for Heart Disease
Your risk for heart disease increases with age, especially with people of color and for those who are over 65. While the average age for a heart attack is 64.5 for men, and 70.3 for women, nearly 20 percent of those who die of heart disease are under the age of 65.
3. Your Other Risk Factors are Important
Know your personal risk factors. Some you are born with and some you cannot control:
Risk factors that you may be able to do something about include:
% Of The Hospital Visits Related To Snow Shoveling Are Due To Heart Problems Including Heart Attacks
In the US, around 100 men die during snow shoveling or after it. According to Cleveland Clinic, every year, over 11,000 people visit the hospital with injuries due to snow shoveling. To be more specific, shoveling snow heart attack statistics report that 7% of those people experience cardiac problems, and a substantial part of thema heart attack.
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Risk Of Sudden Cardiac Arrest After Heart Attack
While recovering at the Highline Medical Center in Seattle, Califano met cardiologist Arun Kalyanasundaram, MD. Dr. Kalyanasundaram told me that I was at risk for sudden cardiac arrest because my heart was not pumping blood efficiently enough yet, said Califano.
Cardiologists measure heart-pumping efficiency by measuring the hearts ejection fraction, the amount of blood pumped by each heartbeat. A normal heart pumps out about 60 to 65 percent of the blood on the left side of the heart with each beat. Califanos ejection fraction showed that his heart was pumping at only 20 percent efficiency.
A study published in the European Heart Journal followed over 11,000 patients after heart attack. They found that the risk of SCA after heart attack was 8.6 percent, with the highest risk during the first 30 days after the patient leaves the hospital. One of the predictors of SCA was an ejection fraction of less than 40 percent just what Califano was facing.
How Heart Attacks Became Less Deadly
Today, more than 90% of people survive myocardial infarction. That’s the technical term for heart attack it means an area of damaged and dying heart muscle caused by an interruption in the blood supply. Some of the decline in deaths is due to doctors’ ability to diagnose and treat smaller, less deadly heart attacks. Some is due to the institution of specialized coronary care units in the early 1960s.
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Know Heart Attack Warning Signs
Your chance of living long after a heart attack increases dramatically if you know the heart attack warning signs. The sooner you recognize you may have a problem, the sooner you can begin to receive life-saving treatment. Immediate treatment also helps preserve the health of your heart, which helps to increase your lifespan.
Early major warning signs of a heart attack include:
- Chest pain or discomfort: You may feel pain or discomfort in the center or left side of your chest. This sensation may persist or may come and go. Many people describe the sensation as a feeling of fullness, squeezing, or pressure.
- Pain in your upper body: During a heart attack, you may feel pain in your arms, back, neck, jaw, or stomach.
- Shortness of breath: Trouble breathing often accompanies chest pain or discomfort.
- Other symptoms: Many people experience more general symptoms during a heart attack, such as nausea, light-headedness, or breaking out in a cold sweat.
Heart Attack Statistics You Must Be Aware Of In 2022
Cardiovascular diseases are heart and blood vessel conditions that remain the leading cause of premature death. To emphasize, heart attack statistics show that four out of five deaths related to CVD are due to heart attacks and strokes. In general, people at risk of developing CVD often suffer from high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity.
Identifying those at the highest risk of developing one of these cardiovascular diseases and starting appropriate treatment can prevent further complications or even death. Here, we have a collection of the most critical facts and stats related to heart attacks.
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Copy The Linklink Copiedmortality From Circulatory Diseases
Circulatory diseases notably heart attack and stroke remain the main cause of mortality in most OECD countries, accounting for almost one in three deaths across the OECD. While mortality rates have declined in most OECD countries over time, population ageing, rising obesity and diabetes rates may hamper further reductions . Indeed, slowing improvements in heart disease and stroke are one of the principal causes of a slowdown in life expectancy gains in many countries .
Heart attacks and other ischaemic heart diseases accounted for 11% of all deaths in OECD countries in 2017. IHDs are caused by the accumulation of fatty deposits lining the inner wall of a coronary artery, restricting blood flow to the heart. Mortality rates are 80% higher for men than women across OECD countries, primarily because of a greater prevalence of risk factors among men, such as smoking, hypertension and high cholesterol.
Among OECD countries, central and eastern European countries have the highest IHD mortality rates, particularly in Lithuania where there are 383 deaths per 100 000 people . Rates are also very high in the Russian Federation. Japan, Korea and France have the lowest rates among OECD countries, at about one quarter of the OECD average and less than a tenth of rates in Lithuania and the Russian Federation .
Deaths from ischaemic heart disease are classified to ICD-10 codes I20-I25, and cerebrovascular disease to I60-I69.
Complications Of A Heart Attack
Complications of a heart attack can be serious and possibly life threatening.
These include:
- arrhythmias these are abnormal heartbeats. 1 type is where the heart begins beating faster and faster, then stops beating
- cardiogenic shock where the hearts muscles are severely damaged and can no longer contract properly to supply enough blood to maintain many body functions
- heart rupture where the hearts muscles, walls or valves split apart
These complications can happen quickly after a heart attack and are a leading cause of death.
Many people die suddenly from a complication of a heart attack before reaching hospital or within the 1st month after a heart attack.
The outlook often depends on:
- age serious complications are more likely as you get older
- the severity of the heart attack how much of the hearts muscle has been damaged during the attack
- how long it took before a person received treatment treatment for a heart attack should begin as soon as possible
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You Had A Heart Attack Now What
Its no surprise that many people feel scared, confused and overwhelmed after a heart attack. A heart attack represents a life-changing event.
After your treatment for heart attack, you likely received instructions and a lot of information from your doctor. With time to reflect, you may be trying to understand what happened. Youre sure to want to know what you can do to avoid heart problems in the future.
Navigating the road to recovery isnt easy. Questions, confusion, uncertainty and even fear are common. Get answers to your questions and learn more about what to expect.
Heart Disease Deaths By The Numbers
Over the past several decades, heart diseaserelated deaths in the United States have declined, although more Americans still die from heart disease than any other cause.
According to the American Heart Association, research shows that age-adjusted death rates for heart disease fell from about 520 deaths per 100,000 Americans in 1969 to 169 per 100,000 in 2013.
The big-picture, 30,000-foot-view is that weve made huge advances in the prevention of cardiovascular death, Osborne says.
That success is due to less smoking among the U.S. population overall, improved medications, and better control of risk factors such as high blood pressure and cholesterol.
But a research analysis published in JAMA Cardiology in January 2022 concluded that progress is stagnating, and there have not been any further significant declines in coronary heart disease deaths in the past decade.
Furthermore, heart disease remains the No. 1 killer of both men and women in the United States.
Not only is that statistic frightening, but in fact cardiovascular disease kills more people than the next seven leading causes of death combined, Osborne says. So we still have a really long way to go.
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