Heart Disease/Heart Health

• Heart disease is the leading cause of death in America. Each year nearly 950,000 Americans die from heart disease.
• Heart disease is an equal opportunity killer. Although women generally develop heart disease later in life than men do, by age fifty-five heart disease is the number one killer of women.
• Although there are many types of heart disease, the most common form is coronary artery disease which is the gradual build-up of plaque (primarily made-up of fats and cholesterol) on the inside walls of the coronary arteries.

• the heart muscle (myocardium)
• the valves (which control the flow of blood within the heart)
• the electrical conduction system (which regulates the heartbeat)
• or the coronary arteries (the heart's blood supply)

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) is the most common form of heart disease. One of the main causes of CAD is atherosclerosis, which is the build up of fats, cholesterol, and other substances in the walls of the heart’s arteries. This build up is known as plaque, and as it accumulates, the insides of the arteries narrow, thus slowing the flow of blood. As less blood reaches the heart muscle, the malnourished part of the muscle cannot function normally. If the limitation of blood flow is severe, a heart attack (myocardial infarction) may result.

Atherosclerosis of the arteries can begin early in life, and progresses slowly over the years. The presence of mild or even moderate narrowing of the coronary arteries is not usually associated with any symptoms. Symptoms do not occur until 70 percent of the artery is blocked. Since the risk of developing atherosclerosis is increased in individuals with risk factors for heart disease, modifying your risk factors can reduce your risk of CAD.

Heart Failure, or congestive heart failure, is a condition in which the weakened heart is unable to pump enough blood to maintain adequate circulation to all parts of the body. Shortness of breath and fluid retention in the feet, ankles and legs are the most common symptoms of congestive heart failure.

Arrhythmias, or irregular heart rhythms, can occur when the heart's electrical system is disturbed. An arrhythmia can be due to an extra beat in the upper chambers (atria) or an irregularity in the lower chambers (ventricles) of the heart. Common symptoms may include lightheadedness, loss of consciousness, shortness of breath, or in extreme circumstances, cardiac arrest.

Myocardial Infarction (MI) is commonly known as a heart attack. An MI occurs when a section of the heart muscle is damaged or dies due to a coronary artery blockage. Chest pain is the usual symptom of heart attack. The pain can be mild to severe and lasts for a few minutes or much longer. The most common description of heart attack pain includes pressure, discomfort or squeezing in the center of the chest (also known as angina.) Sometimes the pain may radiate to the shoulders, arms, back, neck or jaw. Patients most often have shortness of breath, lightheadedness, nausea, sweating and/or a feeling of anxiety.

Valvular Disease occurs when one or more of the hearts valves malfunction. This may be due to the valve narrowing or to failure to close properly. The symptoms of valvular heart disease are exercise intolerance, fluid build up, shortness of breath, chest pain and loss of consciousness. Heart failure may result from untreated valvular disease.

The signs and symptoms of heart disease are important clues to underlying problems. Some people have no symptoms at all, some have mild intermittent chest pain, and some have more pronounced and steady pain. Still others have heart disease that is severe enough to make normal everyday activities difficult. Heart disease prevention and management starts with identifying your risk factors. However, though each of these factors increase the risk of heart disease, they do not illustrate all the possible causes of coronary heart disease; even with none of these risk factors, it is possible that you may still develop heart disease.