Heart Disease and Stroke

ARE YOU AT RISK FOR HEART DISEASE?

To follow are risk factors for heart disease and stroke as listed by the American Heart Association.

However, it is important to note that each year heart attacks strike many people who weren’t supposed to have one. Their cholesterol was low. Their blood pressure was perfect. They had no known risk factors. And yet, heart and brain disasters hit them anyway.

Heart Disease Risk Factors

If you answer yes to any of the statements listed below, you may be at risk for heart disease.

You have a family history of heart disease.
You have a total cholesterol greater than 200 mg/dl.
You have hypertension (high blood pressure).
You use tobacco.
You have diabetes.
You are physically inactive.
You are overweight.
You are a male over age 35.
You are a postmenopausal female.

Facts about Heart Disease

Heart disease is the number one killer for men and women.
Cardiovascular disease accounts for 1 death every 34 seconds.
Approximately 50% of heart attacks occur in people with no previous history of heart disease.
50% of men and 64% of women who die suddenly of heart disease have no previous symptoms.
35% of people with heart disease have a normal cholesterol level.
Approximately 33% of all initial heart attacks are fatal.
This year approximately 700,000 Americans will have a new heart attack, and approximately 500,000 will have a recurring attack.
Almost 150,000 Americans killed by cardiovascular disease each year are under age 65.

Reference: American Heart Association; The Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics 2004 Update.

Blocked Arteries Destroy Hearts, Brains and LIVES!

According to the U.S. government, one in every 300 Americans will be killed by a blocked artery in 2007
Every 34 seconds an American dies as the result of a blocked cardiac artery
As an American, there's a 90 percent chance that poor circulation will trigger a serious health problem at some point in your life
More than 6.8 million Americans undergo heart bypass, balloon angioplasty and other circulation-related procedures each year
700,000 Americans will suffer a sudden blockage of blood flow to the brain in 2007 — 83 every hour of the day

Articles and Studies: Women may need different heart treatment.
By MARIA CHENG, AP Medical Writer Mon Sep 3, 2007
Heart attack victims do worse on drug stents

By age 20 you should know your risk factors and make a plan for how to prevent it in the near future. If you have a family member who had heart disease at an early age (mother or sister before age 65, or father or brother before age 55) you should know about your risk factors earlier than age 20. Tell your doctor about your family history and ask about your own risk.

TO FOLLOW ARE RISK FACTORS FOR HEART DISEASE

What are the major risk factors that can't be changed?

Increasing age — Over 83 percent of people who die of coronary heart disease are 65 or older. At older ages, women who have heart attacks are more likely than men are to die from them within a few weeks.
Male sex (gender) — Men have a greater risk of heart attack than women do, and they have attacks earlier in life. Even after menopause, when women's death rate from heart disease increases, it's not as great as men's.
Heredity (including Race) — Children of parents with heart disease are more likely to develop it themselves. African Americans have more severe high blood pressure than Caucasians and a higher risk of heart disease. Heart disease risk is also higher among Mexican Americans, American Indians, native Hawaiians and some Asian Americans. This is partly due to higher rates of obesity and diabetes. Most people with a strong family history of heart disease have one or more other risk factors. Just as you can't control your age, sex and race, you can't control your family history. Therefore, it's even more important to treat and control any other risk factors you have.

What are the major risk factors you can modify, treat or control by changing your lifestyle or taking medicine?

Tobacco smoke — Smokers' risk of developing coronary heart disease is 2–4 times that of nonsmokers. Cigarette smoking is a powerful independent risk factor for sudden cardiac death in patients with coronary heart disease; smokers have about twice the risk of nonsmokers. Cigarette smoking also acts with other risk factors to greatly increase the risk for coronary heart disease. People who smoke cigars or pipes seem to have a higher risk of death from coronary heart disease (and possibly stroke) but their risk isn't as great as cigarette smokers'. Exposure to other people's smoke increases the risk of heart disease even for nonsmokers.
High blood cholesterol — As blood cholesterol rises, so does risk of coronary heart disease. When other risk factors (such as high blood pressure and tobacco smoke) are present, this risk increases even more. A person's cholesterol level is also affected by age, sex, heredity and diet.
High blood pressure — High blood pressure increases the heart's workload, causing the heart to thicken and become stiffer. It also increases your risk of stroke, heart attack, kidney failure and congestive heart failure. When high blood pressure exists with obesity, smoking, high blood cholesterol levels or diabetes, the risk of heart attack or stroke increases several times.
Physical inactivity — An inactive lifestyle is a risk factor for coronary heart disease. Regular, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity helps prevent heart and blood vessel disease. The more vigorous the activity, the greater your benefits. However, even moderate-intensity activities help if done regularly and long term. Physical activity can help control blood cholesterol, diabetes and obesity, as well as help lower blood pressure in some people.
Obesity and overweight — People who have excess body fat — especially if a lot of it is at the waist — are more likely to develop heart disease and stroke even if they have no other risk factors. Excess weight increases the heart's work. It also raises blood pressure and blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and lowers HDL ("good") cholesterol levels. It can also make diabetes more likely to develop. Many obese and overweight people may have difficulty losing weight. But by losing even as few as 10 pounds, you can lower your heart disease risk.
Diabetes mellitus — Diabetes seriously increases your risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Even when glucose (blood sugar) levels are under control, diabetes increases the risk of heart disease and stroke, but the risks are even greater if blood sugar is not well controlled. About three-quarters of people with diabetes die of some form of heart or blood vessel disease. If you have diabetes, it's extremely important to work with your healthcare provider to manage it and control any other risk factors you can.

What other factors contribute to heart disease risk?

Individual response to stress may be a contributing factor. Some scientists have noted a relationship between coronary heart disease risk and stress in a person's life, 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.
Drinking too much alcohol can raise blood pressure, cause heart failure and lead to stroke. It can contribute to high triglycerides, cancer and other diseases, and produce irregular heartbeats. It contributes to obesity, alcoholism, suicide and accidents.

The risk of heart disease in people who drink moderate amounts of alcohol (an average of one drink for women or two drinks for men per day) is lower than in nondrinkers. One drink is defined as 1-1/2 fluid ounces (fl oz) of 80-proof spirits (such as bourbon, Scotch, vodka, gin, etc.), 1 fl oz of 100-proof spirits, 4 fl oz of wine or 12 fl oz of beer. It's not recommended that nondrinkers start using alcohol or that drinkers increase the amount they drink.

TO FOLLOW ARE RISK FACTORS FOR STROKE

Risk factors you can change, treat or control

High blood pressure — This is the single most important risk factor. Know your blood pressure and have it checked at least once every two years. It should be lower than 120/80 mm Hg
Diabetes mellitus — Diabetes is treatable, but having it still increases a person's risk of stroke. People with diabetes often also have high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol and are overweight, which increases their stroke risk even more. If you have diabetes, work closely with your doctor to manage it.
Heart disease — People with heart disease have a higher risk for stroke. Atrial fibrillation, which causes an irregular heartbeat, is a significant risk factor for stroke. Heart attack is the major cause of death among stroke survivors.
TIAs — A TIA (transient ischemic attack) is a "mini" stroke that lasts a short time and goes away without causing permanent damage. Recognizing and treating TIAs can reduce your risk of a major stroke. It's very important to recognize the warning signs of a TIA or stroke. Call 9-1-1 or get medical attention immediately if they occur.
Carotid artery disease — The carotid arteries in your neck supply blood to your brain. A carotid artery narrowed by a fatty buildup of plaque (atherosclerosis) may become blocked by a blood clot, causing a stroke.

Risk factors requiring a lifestyle change

Many people don't realize that stroke is usually predictable and often preventable. Here are the risk factors you can modify by the personal choices you make each day.

Tobacco use
Physical inactivity and obesity
Excessive alcohol intake
Illegal drug use

Risk factors you can't change

These are the risk factors that you can't do anything about:

Increasing age
Heredity and race
Prior stroke

Remember!

Know the Warning Signs
Stroke is a medical emergency !
Respond quickly and call 9-1-1 !