According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 735,000 Americans have heart attacks annually. Moreover, there are a whopping 610,000 cardiac-related fatalities in the Unites States every year. Because of the alarming prevalence of cardiovascular disease, we wanted to start a regular Heart Matters feature. The second edition will focus on a heart-friendly diet.
Risk Factors
Luckily you can control some of the risk factors of heart disease, we will further explore some of these in future editions of Heart Matters. The World Health Organization (WHO) lists various modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors of heart disease including:
Reversible Factors:
- Hypertension
- Sedentary lifestyle (lack of exercise)
- Smoking
- Drinking in excess
- Unhealthy, non-nutritious diet
- Being overweight or obese
Unavoidable factors:
- Gender (while females are also at high risk, men are at higher risk)
- Age
- Family history
- Comorbid diseases such as diabetes
7 Cardiovascular Disease Fast Facts
- Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States
- Heart disease kills more people than all types of cancer combined
- Costs of heart disease exceed 320 billion dollars annually
- Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women
- According to the American Heart Foundation 90% of women have at least one risk factor
- 1 in every 4 American deaths are due to cardiovascular disease
- Most heart disease can be prevented or curtailed through lifestyle changes
If you have any questions or concerns about your heart health, our board certified DocChat physicians are more than qualified to help so feel free to sign up today for a video consultation.
