Heart Disease Facts

Learn About Heart Disease Facts
• Heart disease facts are important in helping you prevent heart problems.
• Heart disease is the single leading cause of death in the United States.
• Nearly 30% of annual deaths in the United States are from heart disease. This is equal to over 690,000 deaths per year.
• There are many things that you can do to minimize your risk of suffering from heart disease.
• According to heart disease facts, coronary heart disease is the most common type of heart disease, and is the one that is most likely to lead to a heart attack.
• If you call 911 as soon as possible when someone suffers a heart attack, that person will have a much better chance of survival. It is imperative that advanced medical care arrives as soon as possible.
• Even after having suffered a heart attack, there are things that you can do to keep from having another attack.
• If you can lower your high blood pressure and high cholesterol, you will have a better chance of not suffering from a heart attack or related heart diseases.
• There are more than a few conditions or factors that can place you at higher risk for heart attacks, and heart disease facts tell you that some of them are factors that you can change.
• High cholesterol can result in hardening of the arteries, and can lead to heart attack. Some cholesterol is naturally present in the body – produced by the liver and eaten in some foods – but too much puts you at higher risk for heart attack and other heart ailments.
• High cholesterol is a warning sign of eventual heart disease. Facts say that there are “good” and “bad” types of cholesterol, and you want a high count of good cholesterol and a low count of bad cholesterol.
• High blood pressure is also a health issue that will make it more likely that you will suffer from a heart attack.
• If you work to lower your blood pressure, it will lessen your chances of heart disease and heart attack. You can do this by changing your diet and parts of your lifestyle.
• Having diabetes also makes it more likely that you will develop heart disease, and possibly suffer a heart attack. You should work closely with your physician so that you can keep your risk of heart attack as low as possible.
• There are also some behavioral factors that you can change or eliminate, to lessen your chance of heart attack. If you use tobacco, that makes it more likely that you could contract heart disease. Facts show that you can become more susceptible to heart disease from second-hand smoke as well, even if you don't smoke yourself.
• If you eat foods with a lot of fat, sodium and cholesterol, you will be more likely to be a victim of heart disease or heart attack.
• If you lead a sedentary life, without much physical exercise, your chance of suffering from a heart attack are greater.