11 Facts About Heart Disease

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1. Heart disease is also known as cardiovascular disease (CVD) or coronary heart disease (CHD) and includes illnesses associated with the heart and vessels.^[American Heart Association. “What Is Cardiovascular Disease?” http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Support/What-is-Cardiovascular-%09Disease_UCM_301852_Article.jsp. Accessed January 31, 2020.]
2. There are many types of heart disease, including: hypertension (high blood pressure), coronary heart disease (heart attack), and cerebrovascular disease (stroke).^[World Heart Federation. “Different Heart Diseases.” https://www.world-heart-federation.org/resources/different-heart-diseases/. Web Accessed January 31, 2020.]
3. 1 in 3 US adults has high blood pressure, and men are about 30% less likely than women to have visited a doctor within the past year. Encourage your dad to get his blood pressure checked. You could be saving his life! Sign up for I Heart Dad.^[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “High Blood Pressure Fact Sheet.” https://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/data_statistics/fact_sheets/fs_bloodpressure.htm. Accessed January 31, 2020; Harvard Health Publishing. “The Gender Gap in Health.” Accessed January 31, 2020.]
4. An estimated 17.9 million people died worldwide from cardiovascular diseases in 2016, representing 31% of all global deaths.^[World Health Organization. “Cardiovascular Diseases: Key Facts.” https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cardiovascular-diseases-(cvds). Accessed January 31, 2020.]
5. In the US, heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups.^[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Heart Disease in the US.” https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm. Accessed January 31, 2020.]
6. About 647,000 people die from heart disease every year in the US. That’s 1 in 4 Americans.^[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Heart Disease in the US.” https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm. Accessed January 31, 2020.]
7. Heart attacks occur when oxygen-rich blood is blocked and can’t flow to the heart. The section of the heart devoid of oxygen begins to die if the flow isn’t restored in a sufficient amount of time.^[US Department of Health and Human Services. “What Is a Heart Attack?” https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/what-heart-attack. Accessed January 31, 2020.]
8. A person who is about to have a heart attack may exhibit these symptoms: pain or discomfort (in chest, arms, shoulder, elbows, jaw, or back), shortness of breath, and nausea or vomiting.^[American Heart Association “Warning Signs of a Heart Attack.” https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/heart-attack/warning-signs-of-a-heart-attack. Accessed January 31, 2020.]
9. In the United States, someone has a heart attack every 40 seconds.^[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Heart Disease in the US.” https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm. Accessed January 31, 2020.]
10. Heart attacks and strokes CAN be avoided. 80% of them are preventable by avoiding tobacco use, regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy diet, and regularly checking blood pressure, blood sugar, and blood lipids.^[American Heart Association. “CDC Prevention Programs.” https://www.heart.org/en/get-involved/advocate/federal-priorities/cdc-prevention-programs. Accessed January 31, 2020.]
11. On average, not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, and controlling blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol can add 10 years to a person’s lifespan. ^[American Heart Association. “Making Progress: Making a Difference.” https://www.heart.org/idc/groups/heart-public/@wcm/@adv/documents/downloadable/ucm_301639.pdf. Accessed January 31, 2020.]