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What Is The Number One Cause Of Heart Attacks

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How Common Is Heart Disease

Heart disease is number one cause of death in U.S.
  • Cardiovascular disease is the worlds leading cause of death. In 2019, 17.9 million people died from CVDs, comprising 32% of global mortality.
  • Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. as well, causing approximately 697,000 deaths per year.
  • Approximately 121.5 million U.S. adults have some form of cardiovascular disease.

Around 12% Of People Who Have A Heart Attack Die From It

An actual heart attack denotes the end of a process that has already been going on for several hours. The latest data on heart attack death rate uncovers that 12% of people who have a heart attack die from it. So that means that you have a much greater chance to survive a heart attack than die from it, which is, at last, some reassuring information.

Bigger Cholesterol Is Better

Yusuf presented the study results at the European Society of Cardiology meeting. He says that cholesterol size also plays a role in determining risks. Smaller, denser cholesterol molecules increase the risk of heart disease these can more easily invade the artery wall causing inflammation and atherosclerosis plaque. The higher the amounts of smaller and denser particles, the higher the risks relative to larger cholesterol particles.

He says that this factor alone may increase the risk of heart attacks by as much as 54%. Yet when a smoker has a bad lipid ratio “that combination accounts for two-thirds of heart disease.”

In the study researchers measured particles which carry cholesterol in the blood called apoproteins. The ratio of apoliprotein B and apoliprotein A-1 is a much simpler test, Yusuf says. “I call it the ratio of nasty versus good molecules.”

People at the highest risk for the ApoB/Apo A-1 ratio increased their risk of heart attack by 54%, he said.

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High Blood Pressure Causes 47% Of Coronary Heart Diseases

As its other name, silent killer, indicates, high blood pressure rarely shows any symptoms. However, if not controlled, it can be harmful and even accelerate the heart attack frequency. Measuring it is the only way to know whether you have it. One should also aim to make some lifestyle changes or take some medicine to lower hypertension and reduce the risk of a heart attack.

What Are The Different Types Of Heart Disease

February Is American Heart Month

Cardiovascular diseaseis an umbrella term thatincludes all conditions that affect the heart and blood vesselsincluding coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and atherosclerosis. Heart disease is one type of cardiovascular disease. Although all heart diseases fall under the umbrella of cardiovascular disease, the reverse is not truenot all cardiovascular diseases are heart disease.

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What Can I Do To Recover After A Heart Attack

Take our quiz to see how much you know about cardiac rehabilitation.

If youve had a heart attack, your heart may be damaged. This could affect your hearts rhythm and its ability to pump blood to the rest of the body. You may also be at risk for another heart attack or conditions such as stroke, kidney disorders, and peripheral arterial disease .

You can lower your chances of having future health problems following a heart attack with these steps:

  • Physical activityTalk with your health care team about the things you do each day in your life and work. Your doctor may want you to limit work, travel, or sexual activity for some time after a heart attack.
  • Lifestyle changesEating a healthier diet, increasing physical activity, quitting smoking, and managing stressin addition to taking prescribed medicinescan help improve your heart health and quality of life. Ask your health care team about attending a program called cardiac rehabilitation to help you make these lifestyle changes.
  • Cardiac rehabilitationCardiac rehabilitation is an important program for anyone recovering from a heart attack, heart failure, or other heart problem that required surgery or medical care. Cardiac rehab is a supervised program that includes
  • Physical activity
  • Education about healthy living, including healthy eating, taking medicine as prescribed, and ways to help you quit smoking
  • Counseling to find ways to relieve stress and improve mental health

Diabetes And Cardiovascular Disease Risk

People with diabetes are at greater risk of heart attack and stroke than people without diabetes.

The three main types of diabetes are:

Insulin is the hormone responsible for regulating blood sugar levels in the body.

Your doctor will check your blood sugar levels as part of a Heart Health Check. Depending on your overall risk of a heart attack or stroke, they may recommend you make changes to your diet and increase your physical activity. Some people with diabetes may also need to take medicines to manage their blood sugar levels.

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Learn To Manage Stress

Managing diabetes is not always easy. Feeling stressed, sad, lonely, or angry is common when you are living with diabetes. You may know what to do to stay healthy but may have trouble sticking with your plan over time. Long-term stress can raise your blood glucose and blood pressure, but you can learn ways to lower your stress. Try deep breathing, gardening, taking a walk, doing yoga, talking with a loved one, working on a hobby, or listening to your favorite music. Learn more about healthy ways to cope with stress.

The Cost Of Heart Disease

American Heart Month: How to Increase Heart Health and Take Necessary Preventative Measures Against
  • Between 2014 and 2015, cardiovascular disease and stroke cost the United States $351.2 billion in healthcare services, medicines, and lost productivity due to death.
  • Researchers expect that CVD costs will rise to $749 billion by 2035.
  • The National Institutes of Health spent more than $1.5 billion on heart disease research in 2021.
  • 1 in every 6 healthcare dollars is spent on cardiovascular disease.
  • Hospitalization for a heart attack costs a median $53,384, and bypass surgery can cost $85,891 to $177,546.
  • Individuals with hypertension spend approximately $2,000 per year more than their non-hypertensive peers on health care.

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Diabetes Makes Adults Twice More Prone To A Heart Attack

Heart attack statistics prove that adults with diabetes are twice more prone to a heart attack. Whats more, people with diabetes are more likely to develop heart disease at a younger age. Diabetes is quite dangerous since high blood glucose can damage the nerves that control your blood vessels and heart muscles.

How Is A Heart Attack Diagnosed

Doctors typically diagnose a heart attack after they perform a physical exam and review your medical history. Your doctor will likely conduct an electrocardiogram to check your hearts electrical activity.

An echocardiogram, which uses sound waves to create an image of the hearts chambers and valves, can reveal how blood is flowing through the heart and what parts of the heart, if any, have been damaged.

Your doctor may also order a cardiac catheterization. This is a probe inserted into the blood vessels through a flexible tube called a catheter. It allows your doctor to view areas in and around your heart where plaque may have built up. They can also inject dye into your arteries, order an X-ray to see how the blood flows, and view any blockages.

Your healthcare team will likely also take a sample of your blood or perform other tests to see if theres evidence of heart muscle damage.

A commonly used blood test checks for levels of troponin T, a protein found in the heart muscle. Elevated levels of troponin T in the bloodstream is associated with a heart attack.

If youve had a heart attack, your doctor may recommend a procedure . These procedures can relieve pain and help prevent another heart attack from occurring.

Common procedures include:

Your doctor may also prescribe medications to treat your heart attack, including:

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Heart Attacks In Women

At least two Kiwi women die from a heart attack everyday. Do you know the risks and the warning signs? And are womens heart attack symptoms different to those experienced by men?

Heart attacks are often perceived to be a mans problem, but currently more than 900 Kiwi women die from one each year. Thats more than two Kiwi women a day losing their life to a heart attack. Heart disease more generally remains the single biggest killer of New Zealand women. There are currently more than 65,000 New Zealand women living with heart disease.

Obesity And Belly Fat

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Being overweight or having obesity can make it harder to manage your diabetes and raise your risk for many health problems, including heart disease and high blood pressure. If you are overweight, a healthy eating plan with fewer calories and more physical activity often will lower your blood glucose levels and reduce your need for medicines.

Excess belly fat around your waist, even if you are not overweight, can raise your chances of developing heart disease.

You have excess belly fat if your waist measures

  • more than 40 inches and you are a man
  • more than 35 inches and you are a woman

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Other Factors That Contribute To Heart Disease Risk

Stress

Individual response to stress may be a contributing factor for heart attacks.

Some scientists have noted a relationship between coronary heart disease risk and stress in a persons life, along with their health behaviors and socioeconomic status. These factors may affect established risk factors.

For example, people under stress may overeat, start smoking or smoke more than they otherwise would.

Get stress management tips and tools.

Alcohol

Drinking too much alcohol can raise blood pressure, and increase your risk for cardiomyopathy, stroke, cancer and other diseases. It can also contribute to high triglycerides, and produce irregular heartbeats. Additionally, excessive alcohol consumption contributes to obesity, alcoholism, suicide and accidents.

All that said, there is a protective benefit to moderate alcohol consumption.

If you drink, limit your alcohol consumption to no more than two drinks per day for men and no more than one drink per day for women. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines one drink as 1 1/2 fluid ounces of 80-proof spirits , 5 fl. oz. of wine or 12 fl. oz. of regular beer.

It is not recommended that nondrinkers start using alcohol or that drinkers increase the amount they drink.

Read our recommendation on alcohol and cardiovascular disease.

Diet and nutrition

To maintain a healthy weight, coordinate your diet with your physical activity level so youre using up as many calories as you take in.

How To Prevent Heart Disease

Theres no changing family history or age, but there are still plenty of ways to keep heart disease at bay. Diet is the cornerstone to preventing heart disease, and physical activity is another key player, says Anthony Kaveh, MD, an integrated medicine specialist.

Keeping an eye on blood cholesterol and weight is key, too, as high cholesterol and obesity are major risk factors. Abstaining from tobacco use and excessive alcohol consumption also go a long way in preventing CVD. Healthy stress management strategies and adequate sleep put the cherry on top. Essentially, avoiding controllable risk factors just comes down to leading a holistically healthy life.

But preventive measures work differently for each person, according to Dr. Kaveh. The key is finding strategies that resonate with each individual, he says. Just like how the same blood pressure medication may not work the same in two different individuals, the same lifestyle strategies may not work the same for everybody. We all bring our own histories and experiences to our health, and we need to find integrated approaches that resonate with our experiences to engage in healthy lifestyle choices consistently.

Some strategies for heart disease prevention include:

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What You Can Do Now To Prevent An Early Heart Attack

Although some risk factors are beyond your control, there are many thingsyou can do to protect your heart health. Its estimated that 80% of heartdisease, including heart attacks and strokes, can be prevented throughlifestyle changes, such as:

  • Maintaining a healthy weight: Being overweight or obese increases your heart disease risk. Get tips on how to watch your weight.
  • Eating a heart-healthy diet: Avoid processed foods and excess sugar. Eat a diet rich in whole, nutritious foods .
  • Exercising regularly: A consistent workout routine can boost your heart health. Aim for at least 150 minutes per week. Learn the kinds of exercise that can boost heart health.

The Top Cause Of Death In 2020 In The Us Was Heart Disease

Heart disease is the number one cause of death

Heart attack deaths in 2020 were just as great in their number. Since February 2020, coronavirus has taken its toll. Actually, it ranked up to the top three causes of death in the US. Nevertheless, heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the country. It is then followed by cancer and COVID-19.

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So Tell Me What’s The #1 Cause

The #1 cause of a heart attack is when fatty plaques in your arteries build up this is known as atherosclerosis. This “hardening” of your arteries happens when fatyou can probably guess what kind of fat: the dreaded cholesterolbuilds up in the lining and forms what’s called plaque. At first, this buildup may be minimal. But if you think of it as a time-lapse film, the building can increase and increase over time, narrowing the artery. Eventually, no blood can get through. No blood, no oxygen. No oxygen, and your heart cannot work.

One note before we continue: Not all cholesterol is bad. In fact, some is essential. Your body builds cells and makes hormones thanks to cholesterol. This kind of “good” cholesterol is called HDL, or high-density lipoprotein. The kind you don’t want is LDLlow-density lipoprotein. A diet high in saturated fat can lead to a buildup of LDL cholesterol.

The Most Dominant Cause Of Heart Attacks

For many years as well, it has also been known that periodontal disease, which is a chronic inflammation/infection of the gums in the mouth, is strongly “associated” with coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction . It should also be noted that multiple studies reveal that atherosclerotic plaque and the lining of diseased coronary arteries routinely have identifiable pathogens present, a finding that is never normal.

But this bacterial seeding is precisely why inflammation “starts” in the diseased coronary artery. Infection/pathogen colonization always consumes local antioxidant stores and inflammation results.

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Shoulder Pain From Heart Attack

Although heart attack is most commonly associated with chest pain, it can also cause pain or discomfort in other parts of the body, including the shoulder.

Both women and men may experience shoulder pain during a heart attack. Some research suggests shoulder pain during a heart attack may be more common in women than men.

A 2018 study looked at 532 people who had an ST-elevation myocardial infarction , a type of heart attack that affects the whole heart muscle wall. Shoulder pain was twice as common in women than men. Throat and back pain were also more common in women.

Heart attack in men usually causes chest pain or discomfort, which may feel like pain, heaviness, pressure, fullness, squeezing, or heartburn. It typically lasts for more than a few minutes or goes away but returns again.

One In Every Four Deaths In The Us Happens Due To Heart Disease

Heart Disease In Malaysia Statistics

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.

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What Are The Warning Signs Of Heart Attack And Stroke

  • pain or pressure in your chest that lasts longer than a few minutes or goes away and comes back
  • pain or discomfort in one or both of your arms or shoulders, or your back, neck, or jaw
  • shortness of breath
  • indigestion or nausea
  • feeling very tired

Treatment works best when it is given right away. Warning signs can be different in different people. You may not have all the listed symptoms.

Women may experience chest pain, nausea, and vomiting feel very tired and have pain that spreads to the back, neck, throat, arms, shoulders, or jaw. People with diabetes-related nerve damage may not notice any chest pain.

If you have angina, its important to know how and when to seek medical treatment.

  • weakness or numbness of your face, arm, or leg on one side of your body
  • confusion, or trouble talking or understanding
  • dizziness, loss of balance, or trouble walking
  • trouble seeing out of one or both eyes
  • sudden, severe headache

If you have any one of these warning signs, call 9-1-1. You can help prevent permanent damage by getting to a hospital within an hour of a stroke.

What Does Cause Heart Attacks

As head of the department of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health,FREDRICK J. STARE, M.D., directs one of the most active programs of research on heart disease in the country. Dr. Stare is also editor of NUTRITION REVIEWS,a monthly scientific publication.

What does causeHEART ATTACKS?.

THE two commonest types of heart disease hypertensive heart disease and arteriosclerotic or coronary artery disease are not caused by any single factor, but by many, each with varying degrees of importance in different individuals.

Hypertensive heart disease is caused by an increase in blood pressure, which is the result of constriction throughout the body of the very small blood vessels known as arterioles. They become constricted first temporarily, later permanently and the heart must pump harder to produce sufficient pressure to push the blood through them. This additional work for the heart will in time cause it to enlarge and to develop what is known as hypertensive heart disease. Thus a part of the chain of events which leads to hypertensive heart disease is the change that takes place in these very small blood vessels. Recent researches have suggested that these changes are due in part to the formation by the kidney of a specific substance called angiotonin.

The war dances, chants, and witch doctors of primitive societies may all serve a useful purpose in exteriorizing stress getting rid of it. Too many of us keep our stress within us.

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